


Break Your Frame

by WindInYourSail



Category: Law & Order: SVU, Succession (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2020-09-27 10:23:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 26,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20406154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WindInYourSail/pseuds/WindInYourSail
Summary: I have a problem... I should not be allowed to binge watch new shows... and my obsessions with Barba... It's not a summary, but it is the reason behind this. That and I now have a weird thing for Kendall Roy... even though I'm not sure I like the character half the time. The rest of the time I just want to hug him.I won't be using much of the storylines from either show, just borrowing the characters. I'll tag more characters as they appear since I'm not sure who all will be in this yet.Now that I've written a bit on this I feel the story takes place sometime before the show Succession picks up... I'm not sure it was my original intent, but with how it's coming along it makes sense.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm picturing Barba when he first transfers to Manhattan, before the character evolves.

“Go fuck yourself Kendall.”

Persephone gathered her clothes, tossing his at his chest as he smiled at how pissed she was.

“Sephie… you know I’m fucking with you.”

“You’ll buy me something nice?” She was mostly dressed at this point, fuming as she glared at him, still sitting with his clothes in his lap on her bed.

“It was a joke. Come here.” Kendall patted the bed next to him.

“You want a whore, rent one like your brother does.”

She could hear him chuckling as she slammed her bedroom door, but she didn’t engage, instead, she straightened her clothes and left. He could let himself out.

She had been at the bar for an hour when someone sat on the stool next to her. She barely glanced his direction at first, her mind busy ignoring the the phone sitting in front of her with its screen reflecting off the glossy wood grain as it rang. The one the had a multitude of missed calls from Kendall spanning the week that had passed since they’d argued. She still didn’t want to talk.

“Seph? You want another?” Dave, the bartender, was looking at her expectantly.

Why she chose to go to the bar where she'd regularly meet up with Kendall she wasn’t sure… maybe she had wanted to be found… Persephone glanced at the drink of the man next to her.

“One of those.”

Dave nodded, leaving to pull the bottle of amber liquid off the top shelf.

“Do you even like scotch?”

She turned to the man who had spoken. “I like everything.”

Dave set the drink in front of her and she pulled it to her lips, not breaking eye contact with the man sitting next to her as she tilted the glass back, emptying it. She set the tumbler on the bar, her attention going with it and motioned for another.

“Your day must be going as well as mine.” The man muttered, swirling his drink above the bar top.

“My days been fine… my life… that’s another story.” Persephone took a long sip from her glass while staring at her reflection in the mirror behind the bar. Her hair was no longer highlighted blond, but instead in its natural state of chocolate brown, a recent change brought about by the restlessness she felt during the winter months. The dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep camouflaged by makeup and the dimly lit bar, her typically light grey irises, appearing too dark from where she sat.

“What’s wrong with your life?”

“I’m surrounded by assholes.” She chuckled.

“Bad breakup?”

“No.”

“Oh…” The man furrowed his brow and started to inquire more, when the chair to her right shifted and drew her attention away from him.

“Hey Seph.”

“Roman.” Persephone greeted flatly.

Roman leaned forward in his chair to glance at the man she had been talking to. “Who’s the suit?”

“Did Kendall send you?” Roman flattened his lips as he pursed them, looking at her as though she knew the answer to her question. “Of course he did…”

“He didn’t mean it.”

“No shit.” Persephone huffed.

“What’s the problem then?”

“He didn’t mean the money bit, the other he was completely serious about.”

Roman chuckled. “Come on, you two have been friends since grade school.” She rolled her eyes and downed her drink. “Look, we both know you’ll end up back in his bed, so why not cut the theatrics and forgive him now.”

“Tell Ken, if he wants to fuck someone, he can fuck his wife.”

“What about you? Are you going to fuck this guy?” Roman chuckled again.

Persephone glanced back at the man next to her, taking him in. “Maybe.” She shrugged turning back to Roman.

“Do you even know his name?” Roman seemed amused and leaned forward again to look at the man who had been listening to the entirety of their conversation.

“Yes.” Persephone looked back at the man who shook his head in amusement while leaning towards her whispering his name in her ear. “It’s Rafael,” her head moved quickly between him and Roman and then back, “Rafael… really?”

“Yeah, that’s believable.” Roman smirked as he stood to leave. “I’ll tell Kendall to call you.”

Persephone rolled her eyes and motioned for another drink.

“I take it your day isn’t going so great now either.” Rafael smirked.

She scoffed out a little chuckle and turned to him. “You wanna fuck, alleviate a little stress?”

“Steph is it?”

“Seph, there’s no t.” Rafael knitted his brow as he tried to process her name. “It’s Persephone,” she returned her gaze to her drink, looking a bit irritated at her parents choice in names, “I prefer Seph.”

“Persephone? As in Zeus’ daughter, wife of Hades… queen of the underworld?”

“Tempted with a pomegranate seed and doomed to spend a third of her life in Hell...” Persephone exhaled deeply and took another drink.

“I don’t know if the underworld technically equates to Hell. It’s more a place for the dead, a way to rationalize death.”

“I was referring to my own temptations…” She fiddled with the napkin under her drink and then spoke again. “It’s all rather incestuous isn’t it?”

“Your temptations?” He had a teasing smirk on his face as he side eyed her.

“No.” She smiled. “Persephone and Hades. I mean Hades is Zeus’ brother and he abducts Persephone at the behest of Zeus, takes her as his wife, and then tricks her so she can’t truly leave… who hears that and thinks that’d make a great name for their daughter?”

“Maybe it was more the Goddess angle?” Rafael laughed when Persephone rolled her eyes. “Seph, then.” He nodded, a small smile still present. 

They sat in silence for a moment, not long, just long enough for the topic of her name to dissipate.

“So… do you want to fuck?” Her brows lifted slightly and a playful smile danced on her lips when she turned to face him again.

Rafael choked on a sip of scotch, coughing to clear his throat. “You’re serious?”

“Only if you want to.” She shrugged, watching his eyes scan her a bit more discerningly. “You don’t have to decide now.”

“You think I need a minute to mull it over?” His eyes crinkled a bit as he smirked.

“You haven’t said no.”

“I’m not sure sleeping with someone involved with Kendall Roy would be very wise.”

“We’re not involved.” Persephone huffed.

“You sleep with him.”

“Technically we fuck.”

“It seems to be a little more than that if he’s sending his little brother to convince you to come back to him.” Rafael lifted his drink to his lips, glancing at her through the corners of his eyes.

“The only woman, outside of blood relation, that Kendall cares about is Rava, his wife.” Her voice was mocking, but mainly mocking herself for letting things evolve as they had.

“He cares so much about her that he’s fucking you?” Rafael scoffed.

“They’ve been separated for years, it’s just neither of them can let go enough to pull the plug. I’m merely filling a void.” Sadness flickered across her face before quickly becoming impassive again. “Look, I’m offering no strings sex if you want it. A little stress relief for whatever is causing your day to suck.”

Rafael tugged his lower lip between his teeth as he thought entirely too long for someone who was intending to say no. “What did Kendall do to piss you off?”

“He asked me to fuck his friend and then offered to buy me something nice in return. I’m not a fucking whore, fucking bought and paid for.” Persephone downed her drink and signaled for a refill. “I mean I’m a fucking Hollingsworth. I can buy my own fucking shit.” Rafael bit back a chuckle at how many curse words she emitted while angry. “What’s so funny?”

Even with the anger directed at him, he smiled. “Do you always use fuck as an adjective?”

“Not always, sometimes it's a verb, others an adverb.”

“Versatile.” He smirked while lifting his drink to his lips.

Persephone visibly relaxed. “So, you want to help me take the edge off or are you leaving me to fend for myself?”

“You wouldn’t want to find some other random guy in a bar?”

“Not really.”

“Why me?”

“Has this not been fun for you?” Her eyes smiled as they locked with his, her finger mindlessly tracing the rim of her glass.

“If I say yes,” Rafael licked his lower lip as his eyes cast downward in thought, quickly pulling up to meet hers again, “how long before Kendall or Roman Roy are notified you left with me?”

Persephone glanced at Dave and rolled her eyes. “Not long… What does that matter? I’m not betrothed to anyone, nor a fucking pawn they can shift around however they want.”

“Yes, but I’m an ADA and that family has their hands in… well, everything.”

Persephone chewed on her bottom lip then pulled her purse from where she had hung it below the bar. “I guess that’s a no then.” She shrugged slightly and signaled for her tab, slipping out her credit card as Dave approached.

She handed the card over and then slipped a business card under her purse once Dave was preoccupied at the register. She signed for her drinks and pushed the tab across the bar to where the bartender was waiting.

“Thanks Seph.”

She nodded and downed the last of her drink before standing. Dave moved back to other patrons as she slipped her coat and scarf on, carefully pulling the business card from under her purse before slipping it on her shoulder.

“I really did enjoy this.” Persephone moved closer to Rafael, slipping the card into his hand out of sight from the bartender. “Use it, or don’t…” she whispered, “just don’t make it obvious.”

She watched him slide the card in his pocket, giving her a little nod, and then slipped out the door.

Persephone took her time, choosing to walk the ten blocks to her penthouse. When she turned the corner and started down the street her building was on, she paused and stared at the light glowing from her living room. Kendall had undoubtably used his key and was waiting on her return. She took a breath and started moving forward again, barely reaching her building when her phone rang.

“Hello?”

“How serious were you?” Rafael’s voice came through her phone and the corners of her mouth tugged higher.

“Text me your address and I’ll meet you there.”

Persephone didn’t wait for him to respond, hanging up instead to call for a car as she waited for the text to come through.


	2. Chapter 2

Rafael seemed nervous when he let her in, locking the door behind her as she slipped her coat and scarf off, setting them along with her purse on his couch. Persephone smiled when he moved closer to her, his hand coming to rest on her hip.

“Am I going to regret this?” He asked while running his hand through her hair.

“Because of Kendall?” Rafael nodded. “Kendall has no claim over me.” She shrugged as she pushed up to kiss him, her hand pressing against his cheek.

The kiss was far more heady than she’d expected it to be. His arm tugged her tighter as his fingers gripped into the hair at the nape of her neck while walking her backwards to his bedroom.

“No strings?” He questioned as her fingers worked his pants loose after finishing with the buttons on his dress shirt.

“None.” Persephone smiled, her hands sliding up his chest, pushing both the button up and suspenders off his shoulders and down his arms, resulting in the majority of his clothing pooling at his feet.

Rafael slid the zipper down her back, watching as she eased the dress down her limbs, leaving her in a matching white bra and panty set that made her skin appear sun kissed. “Have you traveled someplace warm recently?”

“Maybe a month ago, why?” Persephone pushed him back so he sat on the edge of his bed and tugged his undershirt off.

“You’re just tanner the I expected for November in New York.” He laid back as she crawled above him, straddling his hips as she sat.

“What, Hollingsworth doesn’t scream olive skin tone?” She smirked while reaching around to unhook her bra.

“No.” He chuckled, moving his hands to her sides.

Persephone tossed the bra so that it joined her dress in the floor and leaned forward, laying herself against his chest, her lips hovering above his. “My father’s a Hollingsworth, my mother’s a Costas.” Her lips pressed against his as his fingers skimmed up her back.

“You’re Greek?” He groaned when her kisses moved down his neck and her hand ran along his length.

“Half. You’re fairly tan for November as well.”

“I’m Cuban.” His response was strained due to her hand grazing him again.

“Rafael…” She ran her fingers under the waistband of his boxer briefs, slipping them over his hips and down his thighs. “Do you have a condom or do I need to grab one I picked up on my way over here from my purse?” She slid her own underwear off, and stood at the end of his bed waiting for his reply.

“Nightstand, top drawer.” His eyes followed her as she walked around his bed and reached in the drawer, quickly finding what she was looking for.

Rafael exhaled as she rolled the condom on him before moving to straddle him again. “You still good with this?” Her eyes met his as she held him at her entrance.

“Yes.” He nodded, bringing his hands to her hips and easing her onto him.

She moaned softly as he filled her, lowering her lips back to his once she began to move. His arms wrapped around her, letting her continue to control of their movements, her hips rocking steadily against his.

“Do you do this often?”

Persephone had a small smile tweaking the corners of her mouth when her eyes connected with his again. “This? As in picking up a stranger at a bar and fucking him?”

“Yes.” Rafael’s hips thrust up as she sank back down on him.

“Fuck,” she drew in a breath, pressing her forehead to his chest, “no.”

“I find that somewhat reassuring.” He rotated her beneath him, returning his lips to hers as he pumped his hips.

Their bodies worked together, both breathing heavy as the intensity built between them. Persephone had only wanted a distraction, something to kill some time as she avoided dealing with Kendall. It’s why she went to the bar, not for this, but to drink. Rafael had been unexpected.

Her chest pressed against his as her back arched, her neck stretching into her moan. Fingers gripped into his hair, tugging as she push back into his thrust. “Shit…” Persephone tried to restrain, not wanting to finish just yet. Her resistance was pointless, only serving to heighten her release.

Rafael slowed his pace, taking a moment to catch his breath while planting kisses along her neck and shoulder.

“You haven’t…” Her hand tug his hair back so he’d look at her.

“Not yet.”

She smiled and pulled his lips back to hers. Rafael shifted them into a spooning position and reentered her from behind, his arm wrapping around her as he began pumping again. Persephone gripped his arm as she moaned, the other hand reaching behind her, interlacing its fingers within his hair.

When he was panting in her ear, clearly straining to hold out longer, the hand he had resting on her hip slid towards her center, and fingers began circling her clit. She was already overstimulated and the sensitive bud took little time to respond. Her hips rocked against his as she tilted her head back to find his lips again, tightening around him once more. His lips broke contact as he grunted into her shoulder, his thrust slower, purposeful, until he stilled and tightened his arms around her.

Persephone twisted in his arms and ran her fingers through the hair just behind his ear. They laid silently together, her eyes scanning his face, his doing the same. It felt nice. Too nice.

“I should go.” She didn’t actually want to leave, but the fact that she found his arms so inviting prompted her to speak.

“Yeah…” Rafael cleared his throat, pulling his gaze from hers as he dragged himself out of bed.

Persephone followed him into the bathroom, watching him drop the condom in the trash, then tossed him his underwear on her way to the toilet.

“I can leave.”

She shrugged as she sat, smirking slightly when he exited before slipping his boxer briefs back on.

When she returned to his bedroom he had pulled his undershirt on as well and her clothes were laid out neatly on the foot of his bed. She smiled and slipped her undergarments on and then stepped into the dress, slowly sliding her arms through the opening. Stalling slightly, as she made mediocre attempts to reach the zipper.

“Do you mind?” Persephone turned her back to him and glance over her shoulder, first at him, then the zipper.

A smirked tugged at his lips as he moved closer, watching her draw her hair over her shoulder and out of the way. Rafael pulled the zipper up slowly, lightly grazing her back in its wake.

“Rafael?” Her voice lacked the assertiveness it had earlier. “Do you mind if I hang on to your number?”

“Wouldn't that be a string.” She turned to find him looking a bit amused.

“I was only thinking for future stress relief, but if you’d prefer you can watch me delete it.” Her hand pressed against his cheek as she pushed up to kiss him, smiling into it when his arms wrapped around her.

“You can keep mine if I can keep yours.” Rafael exhaled, tugging her tighter as he pressed his forehead to hers.

“Fair’s fair.”

Rafael smirked at her response while moving them back to his living space. “Should we set some ground rules?”

“Don’t make it about more than sex?” Persephone shrugged as she slipped her coat back on.

“That seems too simple.”

“Don’t overcomplicate it.” She smirked.

“Two rules then.”

Persephone chuckled and fasten her scarf around her neck, giving him one last kiss before exiting his apartment. Smiling more to herself than seemed appropriate under the circumstances.

It was close to midnight, but she still decided to walk. If she had known he lived as close as he did, she wouldn’t have taken a car to his place to begin with. Persephone pulled her phone from her jacket pocket as she made her way home and cringed at the numerous missed calls and text from Kendall. Ignoring them, she found the call from Rafael in her recents and saved his number.

When she turned onto her street, she could see her building in the distance, all lights were dark in her unit, nothing to indicate someone was there and a sense of relief flooded through her. Her night had been surprisingly nice and the last thing she wanted was for Kendall to ruin it.

Her key was dropped in the bowl next to the door as she yawned, the purse placed next to it. Persephone wiggled out of her coat, hanging both it and the scarf in her coat closet. She was tired, too tired, but she had drank more than she normally did. Her only vice left aside from the one cigarette she intended to smoke on her terrace now that the night was done. It had been the deal she made herself when she quit, never quite being able to admit she’d smoked her last one. She was allowed one cigarette at the end of the night, and only if she she’d drank enough to be jonesing for one. Her system was working though. One pack lived in the back of her freezer and most of the time she didn’t even think about it.

After sex with Rafael and the light residual buzz she still had going, she was definitely jonesing, but the smoke would have to wait until after she changed. She had just started for her bedroom, when the light flickered on and Kendall stood silhouetted leaning against the door frame.

“You fucked him?”

“Who?” She grumbled, pushing passed him and into her bedroom.

“Rafael Barba, the suit Roman saw you with at the bar.”


	3. Chapter 3

Persephone paused her forward momentum and turned on her heel to face him again. “Did you call Dave?”

“As soon as Roman called to let me know you were chatty with the man sitting next to you.” Kendall stated. “Did you fuck him?”

“Leave the man who was unfortunate enough to be sitting next to me when Roman showed up alone.” Persephone huffed as she unclasped the back to her earring, setting it along with its mate in her jewelry box.

“You look sated, was he at least a good fuck?”

Kendall followed her into the bathroom when she didn’t respond, only to find her staring at the residual of white powder on her bathroom counter.

“You fucking did that here?”

“I didn’t do it in front of you. That’s your rule.” Kendall used his finger to clean her counter, rubbing the powder along his gums.

“I said not in my house Ken…” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “You may be off the wagon, but I’m not and I’d like to stay that way.”

“I’m sorry Seph…”

“You’re always sorry.” Persephone muttered as she slammed her closet door behind her, locking it in case he decided to follow.

She slipped out of her dress and into pajama pants pairing them with a long sleeved t-shirt. She paused for a moment to sit on the ottoman placed in the center of the space. There was an attempt to clear her mind, but instead worry crept in. If Kendall had Rafael’s full name, he undoubtably had more.

“Do me a favor?”

Kendall eyed her from her bed when she entered the bedroom again. “What favor?”

“The man from the bar.”

“Rafael Barba.” Kendall’s hooded brow intensely focused on her.

“Leave him alone,” Persephone exhaled while ignoring his glare, “he has nothing to do with your bizarre jealousy issues.”

“I’m not jealous.”

“Oh… my mistake.”

“Did you fuck him?”

“Yes.”

Kendall pulled his phone from his pocket, muttering as he started to unlock it, his eyes bouncing frantically about the screen, not noticing her approach him until she took the phone from his hand and sat on the bed, patting for him to move closer to her.

“I need to make a call.”

“No you don’t, not unless you want Rava to know about Barcelona… the trip a year before you separated…” Kendall looked at her, “you know, the one with Roman, Stewy, and the brothel… I still have the pictures Roman sent me.”

Kendall’s eyes scanned the floor as he held his hand out. “I still need to make a call.” Persephone handed back the phone, watching him as it rang. “We’re talking, everything’s fine.” The call was short, but all she needed to hear.

“Thank you.”

“Will you sleep with him again?”

She shrugged and leaned against him. “Maybe…”

“You like him?”

“We fucked Ken… that’s it.” Somewhere deep inside, that statement felt like a lie, but if it was a lie, it was a lie she’d convinced herself was the truth. “Do you have a smoke?”

Kendall pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and handed her one. “Must have been good.” He muttered.

Persephone took his hand and dragged him to the terrace, pulling him to sit next to her. Kendall extended his lighter, watching her take a slow drag as the paper ignited, before lighting his own cigarette.

“How do you make that look so satisfying?”

“Try only allowing yourself one every month or so. You’d savor it too.” She chuckled.

“Wouldn’t it be easier to fully quit?”

“Probably,” she shrugged, “but then I wouldn’t be enjoying one now.”

They sat quietly, him watching her inhale slow drags while wrapping her arms around herself when the wind picked up.

“Seph?” He shifted closer and placed his arm around her, lightly resting his hand on her hip. “Do you mind if I sleep here?”

“You never stay the night.” Persephone took one last puff and stood, extinguishing the butt on the ground before placing it in the small trash can she kept in the corner.

Kendall did the same, joining her when she reentered the penthouse. “We’ve never gone this long without talking.”

“And you’re missing Rava…”

“We slipped up two nights ago and I keep smelling her.” He grumbled, following her back to her bedroom.

“She stayed the night?” Persephone’s cocked her head to the side. It wasn’t like Rava to sleep with Kendall. Not when she knew how he still felt.

“We drank too much at dad’s forced family gathering. She made it clear she wasn’t interested in reconciling.”

“Hence the desire to stay over.” Kendall nodded, wrapping his arms around her shoulders when she snaked hers around his waist and rested her head against his chest. “Ken… why’d you start using again?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Do you have anymore?” She stared at nothing on the wall almost afraid to hear his answer. It was a question she shouldn’t have asked, but needed to know the answer to.

“No. I did the last of it before you got home, but I can…” Persephone placed her hand over his mouth, preventing him from finishing his sentence.

“You can stay then.”

Kendall’s eyes bounced between hers. “Shit, I’m sorry.” Her exact words had been she didn’t want it in her home at all, that the temptation was too much if she knew it was there.

“It’s fine, but you better have something on under that to sleep in. I’m still pissed at you.” She muttered, tugging the covers back as he stripped.

“You like Stewy.”

“I tolerate Stewy.”

Kendall chuckled as they crawled in bed. “You told me you thought he was attractive.”

“And you interpreted that as I wanted to sleep with him?” Kendall furrowed his brow causing Persephone to roll her eyes. “It is possible to think someone is attractive and have no desire to fuck them. Stewy’s an ass.”

“He’s always liked you.”

“No. He’s always wanted to screw me. Don’t try to pass me off to your friends.”

Kendall pulled her against him and ran his hand through her hair, tucking it behind her ear. “Ok.”

“I’m serious Kenny.”

“I get it. I fucked up.”

“Why would you even suggest it?” The pain in her voice was evident and Kendall exhaled as his eyes softened.

“I wasn’t thinking straight.”

“You were loaded, I could tell when you couldn’t shut the fuck up that night.”

“I had just left Stewy’s and he kept talking about you. I am sorry.”

“I forgive you, just don’t come around me while you’re high if you can’t avoid being a fucking asshole.”

“What made you have sex with him?”

“The guy in the bar?”

“Yeah…”

Persephone bit her lower lip as she shrugged. “I’m not sure exactly…”

She didn’t have a clue why she had been so forward with Rafael, why she had risked meeting a stranger at his home for the sole purpose of having sex. It truly wasn’t like her. Even at her lowest she had never slept with random people. And yet, earlier that night she’d acted as though the situation was a familiar one for her, completely taking charge.

“Are you ok?”

“I am.”

“If you’re not though… if you need me to take care of him…”

“How very Mafia of you.” She chuckled.

“I just don’t want you getting hurt…”

“I’m not.” She smiled, running her thumb across his cheek.

Persephone pulled away when he leaned in to kiss her, turning herself so that her back was to him. “We’re sleeping Kendall.”

“I can’t kiss you?”

“Not tonight.” She sighed, running her thumb across her still very worn, very used feeling lips.

“Because of the guy in the bar?”

She quickly fought back a smile as images from earlier flooded her mind. Images of Rafael at the bar, of Rafael in his bed…

“Kissing leads to other things.” She sighed, tugging the covers tighter around her, both enjoy the feel of Kendall’s arms wrapping around her and pretending they were someone else’s.


	4. Chapter 4

She was running through a field of wild flowers, her hair, light brown highlighted with streaks of blond, flowing behind her, her skin was tan from the time spent outdoors. A smile spread across her face as the warm sun beat down on her, the yellow sun dress leaving her shoulders almost completely exposed to it. She was barefoot, and though running without shoes should have been painful, it wasn’t. It was though the ground were made of a soft carpeting. Her mind tried for a moment to make sense of that, but was quickly drawn back into the blissful feeling of running through the soft pinks and oranges cascading around her.

She slowed when she reached a break in the flowers and squinted as she look ahead. The ground was flat and brown, leading to the cliffs edge. She hadn’t known she was on a cliff, but at the same time it seemed completely natural. The flowers were delightfully swaying in the breeze and she smiled again, slowly making her way to the ledge to peer over.

Below was a small beach with waves brushing over the sand, cliffs surrounding it on all sides, jutting out into the ocean. It was pretty, a pristine picturesque view. Persephone stepped closer to the precipice, the jubilant sensation suddenly and unforgivingly torn from her only to be replaced by spirit breaking despair. Her chest twist into a knot, no longer taking in full breaths. Tears stung at her eyes as she collapsed to her knees.

“Wes...” she choked.

His body lay face down in the break of the small waves lapping against the shore, blood pooling in the water around him. Persephone scanned the bluffs in search of a way down, but it was too steep. She turned back the way she came, halting when the flowers that were once dancing carelessly had transformed into snakes standing upright as if ready to strike, blocking her path. She couldn’t return the way she’d come, she couldn’t jump and join Wes. She was trapped, fixed in place.

Persephone’s eyes shot open, the tight feeling in her chest still present. In that moment, she would have done anything to take the smothering ache away. She knew better though. That the temporary relief brought on by self medicating only served to intensify the pain when the effects wore off, the depression becoming insurmountable. But still, the idea of numbing herself from this feeling…

“Seph?” Kendall stirred next to her and glanced at the clock. “It’s four in the morning.”

“I can’t sleep.” Her mind was elsewhere, her gaze vacant.

“You ok?”

Persephone crawled out of bed when he reached to comfort her. “I’m going for a run.”

She didn’t wait for him to react, instead left to change into leggings and a sports bra. A pair of socks were clutched in her hands when she walked back through her room and Kendall sat up, his mind a bit more awake now.

“It’s thirty degrees outside.”

“I’ll use a treadmill in the buildings gym.” She didn’t look his way, but continued on her path, only pausing to slip a hoody, then her socks and shoes on.

She grabbed her key from the bowl, throwing her hair in a ponytail as she walked to the elevator. Her feet hit the pavement as soon as she exited the building. Running. What was she running from exactly? Her memory? Restlessness? Gut wrenching sorrow…

Her life had ended the moment Wes’ head hit that rock. Ten years. Ten happy years with nothing to show for it but a ring she could no longer wear without people looking on her with pity. They had met in undergrad, drawn to each other in a way she would have laughed at if she had seen it in a movie. They had both gone on to attend an MBA program together, the wedding, almost immediate upon their graduation. Five happy years later they were discussing the idea of children, had even started trying… and then it was over. All of it suddenly taken from her. No time to brace herself for the impact of loosing him. He was just gone.

Persephone had fallen into a deep depression, toying with thoughts of joining him. What was life without him anyway. In the end, it was Kendall who brought her back. He started dragging her out of her house, forcing her to socialize. At first she fought him on it, not wanting to deal with the reality of living again. On a few occasions they’d hang out with Stewy, that’s when the drugs came into play, at least for her. Kendall had been using off and on with Stewy since college. It became a way of life, the drugs numbing her despondency, at least temporarily.

Three years after Wes’ death, she had been a train wreck. Always looking for a way to subdue the pain she’d never dealt with. Kendall had fallen down the rabbit hole with her, spiraling deeper was easy when everyone surrounding you was an enabler. More cocaine, lowered inhibitions… poor choices. Losing Rava, his family, had been an unintended consequence for Kendall. It was his rock bottom and he’d had sense enough to drag Persephone with him to rehab.

They leaned on each other. The friendship becoming closer than it’d ever been. It was eight months into sobriety when they slept together for the first time. They’d both had a particularly tough week, nothing external, just the daunting loneliness they both felt seemed to be incredibly heavy. The sex had happened. It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t talked about. It just happened. It seemed to fill a void for both of them, so it continued.

Persephone slowed to a walk as she approached her building, her breathing labored as she placed both hands on her hips, pacing in front of the doors with her chest slightly lifted while she tried to catch it.

When she reached her bedroom, Kendall was awake, reading through something on his phone.

“You’ve been staying over a lot lately.”

Kendall looked up from his phone. “My place feels empty.”

It had been a week since that night she returned home from Rafael’s to find him in her apartment, and she had only slept alone once since then.

“You want to shower?”

One corner of his mouth twitched upward as he set his phone down, following her into the bathroom. Persephone stripped out her workout clothes and started the water, Kendall joining her moments later.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He was watching her dampen her hair under the shower, the water running down her form.

“No.” She shifted out of the spray allowing him access.

Kendall wet his hair, watching her gaze drop to the floor. “Do you want a distraction?”

“Yes.” She had barely whispered the word before his lips were on hers, his body pushing her against the wall.

They never talked about Wes. It was understood why she had bad days. It was also understood that in this moment she was using him. Using him to forget, to feel something... anything but the searing heartache that had abruptly pulled her from her sleep.

He was using her as well. They loved each other in a sense, but they would never be in love with the other. He was only sleeping at her place on account of Rava staying the night a week or so back. Avoiding the memories that resurfaced from seeing her in his home again.

“Fuck Ken.” She panted when he shifted her leg higher, wrapping it around his waist as he thrust. Her arms held him close, her forehead pushed into his shoulder. “Harder. Please… harder.”

Kendall drove into her as forcefully as he could without hurting her. Even if he sometimes wondered if she wanted him to, he couldn’t hurt her. He reached between them and found her clit, circling it until she arched, moaning her release, letting his own release follow moments later.

“You ok?” Kendall pulled her close and held her.

“I will be.” Persephone breathed, smiling softly when she looked up at him. “It’s been six years… you’d think I’d be over it by now.”

“Seph… I don’t think that’s something you ever truly get over.”

“I’d probably hate myself if I did.” She sighed.

“Come on, I’ll buy you breakfast.”


	5. Chapter 5

Persephone’s eyes blinked slowly open. It was dangerously close to five in the morning and she was due to teach her morning class in less than an hour. She stretched her arms across her empty bed and sat up, yawning as she stretched a bit more. The nightmare from a couple weeks back, barely remembered once she threw herself back into work. She quickly dressed in dark olive leggings, grey sports bra, and a burnt orange cropped t-shirt that wrapped around to tie in the back. On the way out the door she threw on her winter coat and draped a bag with a change of clothes across her shoulder.

“Morning Seph.” Kaitlyn, who functioned as her general manager, smiled as she entered the studio.

“Morning. How are the numbers looking?”

“Enrollments up. I think the staffing change actually brought a few members back.”

“And set an example of the toxicity I will not tolerate.” Persephone huffed. “People come here to destress and stay fit, not to watch the staff bicker or be talked down to.”

“The staff is definitely in better spirits.”

“How are the two new instructors working out?”

Kaitlyn followed as Persephone started for the room her yoga class would meet in. “Their good. One is picking up faster than the other, but she’ll get there.”

“I thought you hired from a pool of experienced trainers?”

“I did. She’s good, it’s the balance of both pushing hard without over doing it.”

“A listers come here for results, not to be coddled.” She had no time to waste on someone who couldn’t quickly rise to the standards she’d set.

“She’ll get there.” Kaitlyn assured her, leaving as Persephone's morning class started to lay out their mats.

The business was hers. What started as a small yoga studio in a basement apartment she had leased with her the lonely instructor, had blossomed into a full fledged business venture. In less than two years, the studio had grown to span half the third floor of an office building. The previous tenant had owed a gym and had renovated the space to accommodate showers and changing areas, leaving minimal changes for her to make, mostly the addition of walls to create separate rooms for group classes. She did retain a bit of the open space for treadmills, elliptical, free weights… mainly as an option for patrons and her trainers who wanted to offer those options as part of their services. Classes were on a fixed schedule, a variety of workouts, including, but not limited to pilates and yoga.

On weekday mornings, Persephone taught one yoga class at five forty five and then spent the next few hours in various other classes, always changing up which instructors class she sat in on. It kept her workouts demanding and the instructors on their game. By ten, she’d showered in the private bath she’d had installed in her office, ventured to the snack bar to replenish nutrients, and settled in at her desk to work on the business end of things.

The remainder of her day was hers and while she did have a tendency to live at the studio, observing group classes and private training sessions, she also ran errands, sat in on board meetings for the two enterprises she was substantial share holder of, and occasionally took the afternoon off completely.

She glanced over the numbers since firing two of her instructors. They had both been a draw for celebrities looking to tone up for a specific role and wealthier woman wanting a similar training style, but they had also been egotistical and rude, scaring off a good number of her regulars in group. The celebrities, the bored trophy wives… they were icing, a sweet little bonus to the revenue generated by her group classes. Group was her cake.

Persephone clicked trough a few more screens and then shut her computer down. Kaitlyn had been right, enrollment was up and projections were back on track. She had her phone in hand considering who to call for a late lunch when it vibrated.

Rafael: How does this work?

Persephone smiled when she read it. It had been almost a month since that night in the bar and this was the first she’d heard from him. Instead of texting back, she called.

“Barba.” The agitation in his voice made her chuckle.

“Did you not save my number, or did you not look at your phone before answering?”

“The latter,” his voice sounded lighter than the clipped greeting of his last name she had initially received, “so how does this work?”

“I’m free now.” She closed her eyes and silently grimaced at offering herself up that quickly, but she hadn’t been able to stop the words from exiting her mouth. She had thought about him… thought about him too much, it’s why she hadn’t initiated anything.

“Oh, hmmm…”

Persephone smiled. “I take it you’re not?”

“It feels a bit seedy to leave work for a tryst in the middle of the day.”

“What’s seedy sounding is the word tryst. Text me your work address.”

Rafael hesitated, but sent her the information. “Ok, it’s sent.”

“No shit,” she chuckled as the text came through on her end. “Is now a good time?”

“You’re coming to my office?” His voice cracked as it went higher pitched than she’d expected.

“Just to discuss logistics… and maybe make sure we’re both still interested in our little arrangement now that alcohol isn’t an influencing factor.”

“Oh… ok.” There was another pause and she assumed he was looking at his schedule. “Now’s fine.”

“Give me twenty minutes.” Persephone ended the call before he replied and shoved her ID, credit card, and a bit of cash in one pocket or her jeans, her phone in the other.

Blinds were drawn on the office that she assumed was his base on the direction the numbers had been counting, and the space around it was quiet. The only person in the vicinity was the woman sitting at a desk not far from his office door.

“Can I help you?” She asked as Persephone got closer.

“I’m looking for Rafael Barba.”

“Do you have a meeting?”

“Kind of, we recently spoke on the phone.”

“Just a moment.”

Persephone waited as the woman opened the door, motioning for her to enter after very few words had been exchanged.

“Oh and Carmen,” Rafael looked up from his desk as Persephone passed the woman holding the door for her, “can you hold my calls until Ms. Hollingsworth and I are finished?”

“Yes Mr. Barba.” Carmen nodded as she shut the door.

“Ms. Hollingsworth?” Persephone smirked while reaching back to turn the lock on the office door.

“I’m not on a first name basis with most people who come to my office. The secretary rumor mill is flourishing enough.” He smirked back.

Persephone moved closer to him when he stood. His appearance giving the impression of being stressed, his hair disheveled, as though he’d dragged his hand through it more than once, the shirt sleeves rolled up, tie loosened… top button of his dress shirt unfastened.

“That’s understandable, but my last name isn’t Hollingsworth.”

“At the bar you said…”

“I’m a Hollingsworth, I just don’t carry the last name anymore.” Rafael took a step back from her. “I’m not married…” It was as much as she was willing to say and he seemed to sense it because he let it go.

“So…” he stepped closer again, “how does this work?”

“We call or text when we’re stressed… discuss a time that works for each of us and…” They had talked in a bar and slept together, that was it, but for some reason she was compelled to touch him. Technically touching was the only reason they’d retained the others number, but this was more than that.

“We’re going over logistics Seph.” Rafael breathed when her lips were inches from his and her fingers traced the waistband of his slacks.

She dragged her fingers up his chest following the line created by his suspenders, settling them in his hair. “Yes, the logistics of what you’re comfortable with in your office.” She smiled pushing up to kiss him.

Rafael tugged her closer, reciprocating until he felt her slip the button on his slacks loose. He pulled back from her, gripping her hand when he did.

“That’s about as far as I’m comfortable going in my office.” He exhaled. “The walls aren’t that thick and you aren’t exactly quiet.”

Persephone licked her bottom lip as she tugged it between her teeth. “I was thinking…” she smiled at his soft groan when her hand grazed against him, very intentionally, over his pants.

“You were thinking?”

“I’m busy tonight. Plans that can’t be altered, but…” this time he didn’t stop her when she unfastened his slacks, “I’m also not that stressed right now… I’ve had a very relaxing morning. If you want, I can give you a little relief now and tomorrow, after you get off work, we could meet back up.” She was stroking him despite not removing a single article of clothing, waiting for his response.

“A little quid pro quo?” She smiled and gave quick little brow lift in reply. “If something comes up and I’m not available tomorrow?”

“We reschedule.”

Rafael gave her a little nod while watching her lower herself. He rested his hand on her head when she looked up at him while taking him in her mouth. Persephone ran her tongue down his length as she bobbed, stroking him when she pulled back while brushing her tongue against the base of his tip. He groaned and gripped the edge of his desk as his eyes fluttered shut. She assumed with as hesitant as he had been initially that it would only add stress if it took too long, so she dipped purposefully, humming as she took him deeper, gently sucking with each bob. Rafael tugged at her hair and she glance up, smiling around him when their eyes met.

“Persephone…” It came out a husky groan, stirring something within her that momentarily made her wish they weren’t in his office… that they had more time. “I’m close.”

The warning hadn’t really been necessary. His attempts to restrain the little hip thrust told her he was close. She swirled her tongue and dipped her head, adjusting to take a bit more of him, holding him there while flexing the back of her throat around him. Rafael inhaled sharply and held her head still, grunting his release as quietly as possible.

Persephone returned to her feet, smiling that he was still gripping his desk and panting. While he caught his breath, she adjusted him back into his underwear, tucked his shirt in, and refastened his slacks.

“Thank you.” He breathed once his breathing had normalized.

“Thank you?” She chuckled.

“I just… what was I supposed to say?”

Persephone shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“It feels wrong to not reciprocate in some way.” Rafael sighed, tugging her closer again, his arm snaking around her waist.

“I owed you anyway.”

“How do you figure?”

“That night, when I got home… Kendall was there. I told him we slept together.” She felt Rafael’s body tense. “Kendall won’t do anything to you.”

“You can’t guarantee that.”

“I promise you I can.”

“How?”

“I’ve known Ken a long time, gone down very destructive paths with him… I have leverage.”

Rafael didn’t look terribly relieved. “And what happens if I upset you?”

“I’m not vindictive,” she smiled, “I just know how that world works. I hang onto information to prevent things from happening, not make them happen.”

“Did you and Kendall…”

“No, I was fairly sated.” Her eyes crinkled as she ran the backs of her fingers over his cheek. “That and fucking two guys in the same day seems a bit unsavory.”

“Have you since?”

“You really want to know?”

Rafael shrugged. “This isn’t a relationship.”

“I have.”

“Can I ask if there’s anyone else?”

She shook her head. “It was only Kendall before you. I know I’m presenting myself as rather promiscuous, borderline slutty… no, scratch that… very slutty, but I’m really not.”

“Ok…” He nodded a few times while sliding his fingers through her hair.

“You’re still ok with this?”

“I am.” Persephone felt an unexplainable ping of relief when he spoke.

“Ok,” she smiled, “text me when you get home tomorrow and I’ll come over.”

“Have you had lunch?”

“You have time for lunch?”

Rafael glances at his desk and sighed. “No, not really.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

His arm tightened around her as he leaned down to kiss her deeply enough to elicit a soft moan. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He breathed, pressing his forehead to her.

“Yeah… tomorrow…” Persephone stepped back from him, their hands coming together as she pulled away, fingers being the last thing to separate when she turned for the door. “Bye.” She smiled, looking back over her shoulder at him before clicking the door unlocked to leave.


	6. Chapter 6

Persephone combed through her closet, looking for something suitable to wear to dinner at Logan Roy’s. She had it narrowed down to a dress or sweater and slacks. Opting for the more comfortable option she laid the dark grey pinstriped slacks along with the lighter solid grey sweater out on her bed and then took another shower. It wasn’t so much the she needed a shower, more that she needed to restyle her hair and that was just easier after a shower. There was something about going to that home that made her feel as though she needed to look like she hadn’t arrived at the end of a full day, and hers had been full. Work that morning, leaving for her brief visit with Rafael in his office, a late lunch with Wes’ sister Whitney… possibly because she was feeling a bit guilty… something she found a bit unsettling since she never felt guilty about sex with Kendall, and then she’d returned to work.

Persephone sat at the table between Kendall and Roman, Rava set to Kendalls left, their kids at the end, one on each side, sitting across from each other. Logan headed the table from Roman’s end while his wife, Marcia, sat at the opposite end. Siobhan, or Shiv as she’s most commonly referred, sat across the table from Roman closest to their father on that side, her boyfriend Tom to her right. Connor, the oldest of the Roy children, and only half sibling, continued out the row with his… with Willa… Persephone was never quite sure the terms of their relationship. The constant jabs from the family at her being a prostitute left Persephone to wonder if she still was one, and Connor in fact renting a woman as Marcia had at one time phrased it, or if she used to be.

The table was full of family, significant others, and Persephone. She wasn’t there as Kendall’s date, not with his wife there. She had accompanied him to functions under that guise, but they had never been on a date. Logan had invited her to the family dinner and she had a pretty solid idea on the why. She thought extremely hard about begging off, but that would only put more stress on Kendall.

“How’s the yoga studio?” Shiv smiled from across the table.

“It’s good, profitable… which has my dad off my back.” Persephone replied.

“How long ago did you open?” Logan asked.

“Two years.” It was a little over two years but not by much.

“It’s rare for a business to be profitable within two years.” Logan stated.

The business was more than profitable, it was thriving, but Persephone had no interest in telling Logan Roy that. Not that he’d want to buy it, it didn’t exactly fit his portfolio, but still… she was a bit protective.

“It’s a yoga studio…” Roman scoffed.

“Remind me again what you’ve accomplished?” Shiv smirked, eliciting a rather immature facial response from her brother.

Rava was sitting on the padded bench under the stairs, watching her children play not far from her.

“Hey.” Persephone let out a breath as she sat leaving a small bit of space between them on the bench.

“Does this family exhaust you as much as it does me?” Rava smirked.

“It does.” Persephone smiled.

“So yours isn’t this…”

“Autocratic?”

Rava chuckled. “I was going to say oppressive, but…” She shrugged in expectance of Persephone’s description.

“My dad has certain expectations and can be less than subtle when you fall short, but he also likes his niche and isn’t looking to concur the world.”

They both watched the children for a moment, enjoying the bit of quiet that came from moving themselves away from the bulk of the family.

“How’s Ken?”

“He’s been better, but he’s ok.”

“He’s using again…” Rava closed her eyes as she looked to her hands, wringing them.

“Yeah…”

“Can you talk to him?”

“Not about that… but you can.” Persephone knew Rava was worried, it was written all over her face. She wished at times she were stronger, that she could talk some sense into Kendall, but as things stood she was still working on keeping herself above water most days.

“He just looks at me like a nagging wife when I bring it up.”

They both quieted when Kendall rounded the corner, stopping to talk with his kids before joining them on the bench, sitting in the space between them.

“You two talking about me?”

“And your continued substance abuse.” Persephone lifted her brow challengingly when he scowled at her. “It’s only because we care.”

Kendall turned to Rava who softly smiled at him and then rested her head against his shoulder.

“I’m working on it.” He sighed, slipping one arm around his wife, while linking his hand with Persephone’s.

“Well isn’t this nice, the wife and the mistress… it like one happy fucked up family.” Roman chuckled.

“I’m going to head home.” Rava placed a kiss on Kendall’s cheek as she stood.

“I’ll say goodnight to Sophie and Iverson.” Kendall stood to follow her, but Roman stepped in his path.

“Dad wants to talk with you and Seph.”

“He can wait until I’ve said bye to my kids.” Kendall muttered, pushing passed his little brother and continuing after Rava.

“Why do you have to be such an ass?” Persephone huffed.

Roman smiled as he shrugged and walked away.

Kendall took her hand as he guided Persephone into the room where his father was waiting. They sat next to each other on the couch opposite Logan, both waiting silently for him to explain why he had wanted to meet privately.

“This thing between you two, what is it?”

Persephone had expected a question about her fathers publishing company, the one that owned three major print news outlets, and the one she had very recently regained a board seat to. There had been a slim possibility that his interest was in Wes’ families business, and her shareholder stake in that, but her stake was much smaller there and she had little say in the business itself. A question regarding the nature of her relationship with Kendall hadn’t even crossed her mind.

“We’re friends dad.”

“You’re close,” Logan scoffed, “too close…”

“What do you want?”

Persephone remained silent, letting the two of them speak. She had known Logan Roy since the age of ten, but the length of time didn’t make him less intimidating.

“Combining families would publicly serve the company well.”

“I’m still married.” Kendall glared at his father while gently squeezing Persephone’s hand.

“Your marriage is a sham. How many dates has Rava been on since you split?”

“I don’t ask.”

“How many have you?” Kendall didn’t reply. The truth was he hadn’t dated, at least not in the actual sense of being interested in someone. “That’s what I thought. You’re content to simply fuck Persephone. For the sake of appearances, there could be a small ceremony… merge the Hollingsworth and Roy families… you could still live your lives with no romantic direction and simply fuck when convenient, or whatever it is you two do.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” It was the first time Persephone spoke since they had entered the room and it pulled both of their attention to her.

“The Hollingsworth line would benefit as well.”

“No.”

“Why?” Logan lifted a brow.

“I’m never getting married again.” Persephone stood and started for the door.

“Because of Wes,” Logan scoffed, “he’s been dead for six years.”

She turned back and stared at Logan, her eyes narrowed as she tried to composed her thoughts. “Fuck you.” Ok, maybe not so eloquent, but she was angry. “You think associating the Hollingsworth name with yours would be mutually beneficial? It would benefit you. People actually like my family, and I don’t know, maybe you haven’t noticed the protestors outside your office daily, but everyone hates you.” Persephone started for the door again.

“What about publicly coming out as a couple? I can make it worth your while.”

“Fuck off.” She didn’t bother to look back as she exited.

Persephone quickly found her coat and slipped onto the elevator, thankful to have not run into Roman or Shiv on her way out. Truthfully Shiv would have been fine, she would have probably called her father an ass or something, but she really didn’t want to listen to whatever witty remark Roman would conjure.

Instead of calling for a car, she decided to walk home. It never mattered how cold it was, or if there was snow on the ground… in the winter she found herself walking more than usual. Nervous energy seemed to be in abundance once the weather started cooling and her solution was to walk it off. She headed in the general direction of her home, but not necessarily towards her building. She wasn’t ready to sit at home yet. Persephone ducked closer to a building to move out of the walkway when her phone vibrated.

Kendall: Do you want me to come over?

Persephone: No… I want to be alone tonight.

Kendall: I’m sorry.

Persephone: You only need to apologize when somethings your fault.

She slid the phone back in her pocket and continued forward, not really paying much attention to where she was heading. Her only purpose at the moment being the walk itself. When she rounded a corner, she collided with the man coming from the opposite direction.

“Fuck… I’m sorry.” They both spoke at the same time, though she had been the only one to include the word fuck.

“Seph?”

Persephone glanced up to find Rafael looking both a little stunned and humored to have ran into her a block out from his building. The building she had passed without even noticing.

“Hey.” She took in her surroundings for the first time in at least thirty minutes. “I didn’t even realize I was close to your building.”

“You’re freezing.” His hand was still holding hers from when he had prevented them from falling on impact.

“Are you up for a drink?”

“Will you tell me why your hands are so cold?”

“I’ve been walking for a while.”

“Come on.” Rafael continued to hold her hand as he walked her back toward his building.

“I’m only interested in a drink tonight.” Persephone stated bluntly, the statement itself in complete contrast to the fact that she was still holding his hand.

“Ok”

They both walked silently into his building, Persephone ignoring the little tingles that radiated from where their hands were still connected as they rode the elevator to his floor.

Rafael guided her to a cabinet set along one wall of his living room. It was crafted of weathered elm, with only an oil finish to bring out the wooden grain. The lines were clean, a contemporary look with two doors and solid steal pulls.

“Do you want scotch or something else?” He asked as he tugged both doors open, revealing the spirits and assorted glassware within.

“Vodka soda… I’ll feel it less tomorrow.”

“You have an early day?” He smirked as he poured them both a drink.

“I always get up at four thirty unless it’s the weekend.”

“Why?” Rafael’s brow furrowed as though the idea of waking up that early everyday seemed torturous.

“I teach yoga weekday mornings at five forty five… it keeps me grounded.”

“I was not expecting yoga instructor.”

“What if I told you I owned the business?” Persephone found herself moving closer to him, letting him settle his hand on her hip.

“That’s a better fit.” Rafael leaned down to kiss her, their lips making contact as she pulled him closer. His tongue slid along hers, both of them moaning softly as he slipped his fingers inside the waist band of her slacks, sliding them slowly against her hips on their path toward the clasp.

“I can’t…” Persephone panted, “not tonight.” She had pulled back slightly, leaving only her hand resting on his chest.

“Shit,” Rafael ran his hand through his hair, “I’m sorry… you said you were only interested in a drink.”

“It only applies to tonight.” She ran her hand along his cheek and pushed up to kiss him again.

“Does that mean we’re still on for tomorrow?” Rafael exhaled while pressing his forehead to hers.

“Yes.” Persephone smiled.

“But not tonight…”

“I would only be using you tonight.”

“Isn’t that kind of what this is… using each other?”

“This is different.” Rafael raised his brow so she elaborated. “I like using you to feel good, not to…” Persephone paused as she took a breath, “not to feel… it’s different.”

“Why were you walking?”

“I just needed to clear my head.”

“You realize it’s freezing outside?” Rafael handed her her drink and guided her to his couch.

“The cold’s never bothered me. I get restless during this time of year, but it’s not because it’s cold.”

“What makes you so restless?” He eyed her as he leaned into the back of his couch.

“This is a bit more than the no strings arrangement we've made.”

“You’re the one who said no strings.” He smirked.

“Yes, but when we actually got to your place, you reiterated it as though it was your preference.”

Rafael chewed on his lip as he thought. “I’m terrible at relationships… emotionally unavailable… due to work, actually unavailable at times… no strings seems simpler.”

“I’m not exactly relationship material either.” Persephone smiled.

“As long as we’re on the same page, I don’t see why we can’t talk. It doesn’t have to be purely physical.” Rafael smiled as though he were remembering something pleasant. “I mean the reason you ended up at my place was because you enjoyed talking with me.”

“That was fun.” Persephone chuckled.

“All I’m saying is that we can talk if you need to. I’ve always needed a bit more than just the physical aspect of sex anyway.”

“Ok, but maybe we don’t jump into the heavy stuff right away.”

Rafael chuckled. “Fair enough. What were your plans that you couldn’t alter?”

“Dinner at Logan Roy’s.”

“And that sent you walking in the cold?” His brow was lifted and Persephone rolled her eyes.

“Logan can be a bit unguarded with his words.”

“That’s all I get?” Rafael smirked.

“For now.” Persephone shifted so she was nestled against his side, fighting back a smile when his arm stretched around her.

They sat quietly, drinking their respective drinks, Persephone drinking hers faster as the quiet gave her time to think. Time to overanalyze how comfortable she felt leaning against him. How much she liked his arm around her… the feel of his chest lifting with each breath… that his scent somehow made her want to cuddle closer…

“I should go.” She handed him the empty glass and stood so that their bodies were no longer connected, afraid if she were still touching him and he tried to get her to stay that she’d give in.

He set the glass on a coaster and stood as well. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, it’s already ten.”

“And you have an early morning.” He moved closer and brushed her hair behind her ear.

“I do.” She pushed up to kiss him, letting him tug her closer while entangling her fingers in his hair.

“We’re still on for tomorrow?”

“Yes.” Persephone smiled, kissing him again.

“Text me when you get home, just so I know you made it safely.” They had moved to his door but it wasn’t open yet.

“It’s only a couple blocks.”

“You live close enough to walk?”

“Yes.”

“Will you walk?”

Persephone nodded while maintaining eye contact.

“Please let me know you make it home safely.”

“Ok.” She pushed up to kiss him one last time, and then slipped out the front door.


	7. Chapter 7

It was only two and Persephone had already overanalyzed the business end of her studio far more than was necessary. Between Kaitlyn, who handled the day to day functions almost flawlessly and Toby, who managed the business office, Persephone didn’t have much to do except overanalyze the numbers. Normally she liked the freedom that gave her to do other things in the afternoon. Today she wished time would move faster. She had no idea when Rafael would leave work, but seeing him again was all she could think about.

On her walk home from his place the night before, she had turned around five times, but stopped herself and resumed her path home. Her sleep had been restless, not with nightmares... you have to actually sleep to have nightmares. Instead she kept kicking herself for leaving so abruptly, for leaving because she thought she felt something. There was no way she felt something toward a man she knew the first and last name of, his profession, and not much more. She rationalized her urgent desire to see him again, by convincing herself she needed to prove to herself that she had imagined things. That he hadn’t really been that comfortable to lean against... to be around, that he hadn’t smelt that inviting...

Vzzzzzt... vzzzzzt... vzzzzzt...

“Jesus Christ.” Persephone jumped in her chair, knocking her knee against the desk as she searched for the phone that had startled her from her thoughts. “Fuck... hello?” She was more concerned with rubbing her knee than glancing at the caller ID.

“I’m going to assume you don’t normally answer your phone with an exasperated fuck.” Rafael’s voice sounded amused.

“Not normally, no.” She smiled when she heard him chuckle slightly on the other end. “I slammed my knee against my desk.”

He made a sound to commiserate in her pain. “I’ve done that more than I’d like to admit.”

“Ever while in court?” The pain was gone, the restlessness eased... her humor and lightheartedness seemingly returned.

“Unfortunately, I played it off well though.”

“Sure you did.” She chuckled, leaning back in her chair when he joined her.

“I was calling to let you know I was leaving early today.”

“How early?”

“Now.”

Persephone bit her lip as she smiled. “How long will it take you to get to your place?”

“Twenty minutes.” He had to clear his throat before he spoke and Persephone felt the tiniest stir in the pit of her belly.

“It’ll take me thirty.”

“You’ll meet me there then?”

“Yes.”

They were off the phone in a matter of seconds, Persephone wasting very little time scheduling her car service and sneaking out of work. No one needed to know she had left. The fact that she was a very visible boss helped ensure things ran as smoothly as they did.

It was Friday and since they didn’t have plans for an actual date, Persephone had dress comfortably. Her favorite pair of jeans hugged her hips, while a pair of brown, flat heeled boots came up just passed her ankles. The material of the boots was a soft suede, making them the most comfortable and warm pair she owned. The fitted, brown, t-shirt she wore was covered by a dark blue, oversized, pull over hoodie bearing the name of her alma mater.

The ride up the elevator to his floor had her stomach more active than was warranted, something she excused as hunger. When the elevator finally stopped she smoothed out the front of the hoodie, mostly to calm the flutters that still insisted on being acknowledged, and made her way to his door.

“Hey.” He smirked, answering the door much too quickly for someone who hadn’t been watching for her arrival.

“Hey.” She smirked back.

“You’re an Eli?”

Persephone sat her purse on his couch and turned back to face him as his hands slipped under the hem of the hoodie. “Why, are you a John?” Her fingers slipped into his hair, tugging slightly when he smirked again.

“Let’s just take the Yale sweatshirt off.” He had it tugged over her head and she helped finish the removal, tossing it next to her purse.

“Better?”

“Getting there.” His lips found hers as he walked her to his bedroom, articles of clothing trailing behind them.

They were both down to their underwear when Persephone began inching backward on his bed. Rafael followed watching her move in the one aspect of her outfit she had actually put thought into that morning, a lacy black bralette and matching underwear.

He hovered above her, lowering himself to kiss her lips, then down her neck. Rafael’s hand cupped her breast above the fabric, but didn’t attempt to remove the bralette as his kisses moved lower, his tongue flicking over her nipple, the nub harding enough to feel through the thin lace. The heat of his breath moved down her abdomen as his fingers hooked her underwear, sliding them down her legs. Her breath hitched when his tongue found her, swirling and probing, his arms wrapping around her thighs, reaching his fingers around spreading her lips to give him better access to the small bundle of nerves receiving most of his attention.

“Fuck.” Persephone groaned.

Her hand gripped into his hair again, gently tugging his head back to so he’d look up at her. The action only intensified the sensation, but she didn’t look away. She couldn’t look away, at least not until he he began gently sucking on the nub as his tongue brushed against it.

“Jesus… Fuck… Raf…” She panted as her back arched and her hips jerked away from him.

He continued to hold her in place as her body tensed, the only sounds she emitted being wheezing breaths as she twisted to one side and gripped his covers, tugging the top layer down.

“Fuck, ok… ok…” Persephone tugged herself away from him and curled into a ball while she caught her breath.

“You ok?” Rafael chuckled while pulling the covers from underneath her.

“Yes.” She grinned as he cuddled behind her and wrapped her in both his arms and the covers.

“I thought I’d return the favor from yesterday.”

“I’ll come give you head in your office everyday if that’s what I get in return.” Her breath was still labored, but they both chuckled.

Persephone turned in his arms so that she faced him, her hands reaching between them to push his boxer briefs down his thighs. Her breath caught when she glance up to find his eyes intently fixed on hers. She licked her bottom lip and tugged it between her teeth while taking him in her hand, pumping gently as his fingers slipped the clasp on her bra loose.

Rafael reached passed her, forcing her to shift to her back as he fumbled in his nightstand drawer for a condom. When he sat back on his heels, Persephone took it from him and rolled it down his length.

“I’m really not sure how I lucked into sitting next to you at the bar, but I’m glad I did.” He smirked, his lips covering hers before she could reply.

She wouldn’t consider him lucky. She didn’t consider anyone who knew her lucky. But if he was referencing the fact that he could merely text her and she’d willingly show up just for this purpose, then she supposed he was lucky to have been sitting next to her. As he eased into her she felt fortunate that he had been the one to sit in the empty chair next to her as well. If it hadn’t been him, she doubted she would have suggested this at all… an aspect of all of this she still couldn’t quite wrap her head around.

“Fuck you feel good.” He breathed into her neck.

“Fuck’s a fun word isn’t it?” Her eyes were smiling when they met his again.

Rafael shook his head and brought his mouth to hers, shifting her thighs higher as he thrust. She could have told him he felt good as well, but she didn’t. He did feel good though. There was some kind of energy that ran through her anytime he touched her and it was no less present during this act. It wasn’t something she wanted to think about too hard, she just wanted to enjoy it while it lasted.

“Fuck Raf…”

Persephone wrapped one leg around his waist, pushing back into each thrust, enjoying the little groans he made when she did. He shifted her leg higher, making eye contact with her when she stretched it so that the back of her calf rested on his shoulder.

“You’re very flexible.”

“Yoga instructor.”

Rafael smirked when she pulled him back to her lips, his body pressing her leg back so it was flush with her side. She kept up with his pace, pushing him deeper with each drive forward of his hips.

“Fuck…” The moan was accompanied by her body twisting to the side, her leg crossing over his chest and resting against the bed. He propped himself up on his arms, pumping into her from the position she had shifted them. Persephone’s hands gripped the pillow tugging at it as her back arched and her hips lost the rhythm his had set.

“Are you good if I keep going?”

“Uh huh.” She nodded.

Rafael slowed his pace, making long strides in and out while giving her a moment to regroup. She appreciated the breather, but it didn’t exactly help her regain composer. If anything, she felt momentum start to build again. The husky groans she uttered each time he filled her clued him in as well. The thrust became persistent and unfaltering. She felt his thighs lift her slightly and his hand grip her hips, tugging her towards him with each pump. His own breathing becoming ragged as her hips buckled, twisting in a way that forced him to move her leg so that they were spread around him again. He pumped into her a few more times, before grunting his own release and collapsing on top of her.

“Fuck you’re good at that.” She panted while running her hand through his hair. Rafael didn’t bother to lift his head as he smiled against her shoulder.

He rolled off her and disappeared into his bathroom. Persephone contemplated getting dressed, but the bed was comfortable and she didn't want to leave yet. The day prior, when she abruptly left, they hadn’t even intended on seeing each other and they still had plans to meet up. If she left now they would no longer have plans lingering in the future, and as much as she wanted to believe this was purely physical, she could at the very least admit she wanted to see him again.

“I was almost afraid you’d be gone.” Rafael chuckled as he crawled back in bed.

Persephone twisted to face him while tugging the covers back over both of them. “I thought we could experiment with the talking thing.”

“Are you going to get weird on me and leave again?”

“Possibly, but probably not tonight.”

Rafael smiled as he chewed on his lower lip. “Let’s grab dinner.”

“Like a date?”

“No. I’m hungry and your stomach just growled so I’m assuming you are too. I thought we could multitask... eat while we experiment with the talking thing.” Persephone turned so her back was against his chest, attempting to rub the goosebumps off her arms that had appeared when his arms tightened around her. “It’s not a date.” His breath hit her neck as he spoke, sending another wave of goosebumps, but this one over her back and shoulders.

“I didn’t exactly dress to go out.”

“You live close by though. We could always swing by your place and you could change.”

“You’d need to fix your hair and we should both probably rinse the sweat off...”

“I have a shower and a shower cap if you need it for your hair.”

“Fine, but we’re walking to my place.” She turned to face him in time to see him bite back a smile.

“We can walk.”

“And dress nice, but not too nice. I’m picking the restaurant.”

“Would you like to pick an outfit for me as well?” He was teasing and Persephone knew it, but it didn’t stop her from climbing out of bed to rummage through his closet.

“I can’t believe I let you dress me.”

They were walking hand in hand to her place. It was a detail that made this feel more like a date, but one Persephone was choosing to ignore.

“It’s a sweater and slacks, what else were you going to wear?”

His wardrobe had consisted of suits, sweats, a few casual options... mostly polo style shirts, jeans, and sweaters. The place she had in mind wasn’t exactly a jeans place, but she didn’t want to dress up enough for him to wear a suit.

“A different sweater.” He smirked. Persephone rolled her eyes and dragged him through the main entrance to her building. “Where are we going?” Rafael asked when they passed the main bank of elevators.

“You can’t access my floor from those.” She dragged him around a corner and punched a code into a keypad to call the single elevator located toward the back of the building. She then punched in another code to access her floor once the doors had closed

“Does this open to your apartment?”

“No. There’s two units on my floor.”

“You weren’t lying when you said you lived a couple blocks from me.”

Persephone chuckled as she looked up at him. “Why would I lie about that?”

“I guess I expected a couple blocks to be five or six, not literally two.”

“I would have said five blocks had it been five blocks. I can count.” Persephone smiled, moving closer to him.

She pushed up, pressing her lips to his, careful not to mess his hair up when she wrapped her arms around his neck, continuing the embrace until the ding indicated they’d reached her floor.

“What was that for?” He chuckled as she dragged him off the elevator.

“I like kissing you.” She shrugged as she slipped her key in the door to her apartment.

Persephone was aware of Rafael’s eyes on her as she moved about her place, flipping on a few lights. The floor to ceiling windows let in a decent amount of light, but the sun was setting and areas of her place were definitely dark without a lamp.

“You’re place is...” his eyes scanned the living room and kitchen areas, before traveling to the terrace just beyond the living room windows.

“I like it.”

“How long have you lived here?”

Persephone grabbed his hand and dragged him behind her to her bedroom. “Almost three years.”

“It’s big for one person.”

“I hate feeling like the walls are closing in on me... I need room to breathe.” She ignored the curious look he gave her as she dragged him through her bathroom and into her closet. “I can dress so we match.” This time she was teasing.

“You know it’s only fair if I get to pick out what you wear.”

Persephone waved her arm in front of her clothes, gesturing for him to go ahead. She half expected him to head for her dresses, something she didn’t exactly want to wear, but instead he flipped through her tops, finding a maroon knit sweater and holding it up. It was one of her longer tops, hitting just at the curve of her butt, with three quarter length sleeves and paired well with both jeans and slacks.

“Just the top?” She smirked while slipping her hoodie over her head.

Rafael smiled and moved to where her pants were hung. When he turned back around she had removed the clothes from earlier and slipped on the top. “Here.” He held a pair of solid dark grey slacks out for her.

He watched her finish dressing, the brown boots exchanged for black ones that ran more than halfway up her calf, not that you could tell under the slacks. She pulled a long, silver necklace from a built in jewelry cabinet and slid it around her neck, adjusting it to fall between her breast. She then brushed through her hair in the bathroom and quickly touched up her makeup.

“You ready?”

“Yeah...” he cleared his throat, “yes.”

The restaurant she chose was more than a few blocks away, and yet another destination she insisted they walk to. It wasn’t her nature to sit anxiously in a car. Not that she had any reason to be anxious… this wasn’t a date.

“I’ve never been here.” Rafael said after the waiter took their drink orders.

“The food is amazing.”

“It’s not very big. If the food is so good why isn’t it busier on a Friday?”

Persephone smiled and lifted her menu. “Because they don’t let just anyone in.”

Rafael glanced around the restaurant again, taking closer note of the clientele. “Is that…”

“It is.”

“How did we get in?”

“You got in because of me and I got in because I’m a Hollingsworth.” She shrugged. “Pick something to eat.”

She watched as he scanned the menu, hoping he wasn’t put off by the prices. The place was expensive, but not something she thought would be out of his comfort zone… the problem was she hadn’t really thought about it at all until he was skimming the menu, only hoping for a quiet place to eat. He didn’t seem concerned though, if anything, he came off almost intrigued by the turn the evening had taken.

The waiter took their order when he brought the drinks. Rafael leaned forward in his chair watching her take a sip for her martini.

“What?” She smirked.

“What about you being a Hollingsworth got us in here?”

“My father knows the owner… my father knows everyone.”

“Can I ask what last name you carry now?” He leaned back in his seat, taking a sip of his scotch.

“Eriksen.”

“But you’re not married?”

“I’m widowed, six years now.”

“Oh…” he clearly hadn’t expected that response, “I’m sorry.”

“It is what it is.” She didn’t want to talk about Wesley. “What about you? Ever married?”

“No. I either never found the one or they didn’t tolerate my work schedule long enough to find out.”

“I know you’re a prosecutor, but what kinds of crimes do you bring to trial?”

“In Brooklyn it varied, but now it seems I mostly prosecute sex crimes.”

“You’ve transferred to Manhattan then?”

“About six months ago.”

“Did you move or did you already live in Manhattan?”

Rafael lightly chuckled. “I already lived in Manhattan.”

“What?”

“This feels like a date.” He smirked into his glass.

“It’s not a date. You said talk, I’m talking.”

“I didn’t say it was. I said it felt like one.” Persephone eyed him as she took another sip of her drink. “Where did you live before you moved to your penthouse?”

“A rehab facility in New Mexico.”

Rafael coughed on the liquid he’d inhaled with her response. “Rehab?”

She nodded. “A brownstone on the Upper West Side before that, but I couldn’t live there anymore.”

“Why were you in rehab?”

“Because I didn’t want to deal with living after Wes died and I chose to numb myself instead.”

Rafael nodded, taking in what she had just shared with him. “You’ve been clean ever since?”

“I drink and occasionally smoke a cigarette. I touch nothing else.”

“Did you before he died?”

“God no, I was happy then.” She took a breath and chewed on her lip as he sat quietly across from her. “Not that I don’t deserve it, but please don’t judge me on the two worst years of my life.”

“I’m not.”

“It feels like you are.”

“I wasn’t thinking about how you coped… the reason behind it.”

“We shouldn’t have talked…” Persephone downed her drink.

Rafael reached across the table and took her hand in his. “I’d prefer to know.”

“Wes isn’t something I like to talk about.”

“Ok,” he gently squeezed her hand, “so you own a yoga studio?”

Persephone smiled softly. “I do.”

“And you went to Yale?”

“Before,” she closed her eyes and took a breath, “I worked in finance. I kind of destroyed that career, but I’ve also never really needed a career… The rehab I went to offered yoga in the mornings. It was always something I enjoyed and it seemed to help, so I got certified to teach and opened a small studio in a basement apartment. I now employee twenty five people and occupy the third floor of an office building, well half of it.”

“You studied business at Yale then?”

“I have an MBA from there.”

“I assume that helps a bit when running your studio.”

“It’s a business like any other.” She smiled.

He took her hand again as they walked back to her place. Persephone pulled him closer and snaked her arm around his waist, leaning into him when his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

“What?” She huffed, her eyes crinkled in amusement at the smirk on his face.

“Nothing.”

“It’s not a date.”

“Never said it was.”

She didn’t bother to pull away from him. Part of her wanted to, but she ignored it this time. She hadn’t felt this comfortable around someone in a long time… it reminded her of when she first met Wes, the feeling not the situation. That thought was almost enough to cause her arm to fall back to her side, but Rafael gently squeezed her as the approached her building and her arm remained in place.

“Do you want to come up?”

“Yes.”

“Ok.” Persephone nodded pulling him into the building.

The elevator ride began silently. It wasn’t uncomfortable, just both of them starting to speak and then overthinking before actually saying something.

“Screw talking.” Rafael finally said, pressing Persephone against the elevator wall as his lips covered hers.

They stumbled down the hall, Rafael walking her backwards, keeping her close enough to cause both of them to giggle until her back pressed against her door.

“I need… to get… my key.” Persephone panted between kisses.

Rafael smiled and let her have just enough room to get her door open. The kiss quickly resuming once they were both inside, Persephone giggling again as she attempted to lock the door. He was walking her back to her bedroom when the light flickered on, pulling his attention to the doorway.

“Why is Kendall Roy in your apartment?” He was still holding her, but had pulled back to look in the direction they were heading.

Persephone turned to see Kendall leaning against the door frame. “Because he has a key.”


	8. Chapter 8

The tension in the room was palpable. Kendall’s gaze remained transfixed on the two of them as Persephone moved to stand next to Rafael, not exactly separating herself from him.

“Why are you here Ken?” Persephone sighed, not because she was annoyed he was in her apartment, but because he was currently in her apartment.

“I wanted to see how you were after my father ambushed you yesterday.”

“I’m fine.”

“I can see that. You’re running to him now?” He seemed agitate, which could either mean he wasn’t expecting her to actually have sex with Rafael again or that he was high.

“I’m not running to anyone, we made plans before the dinner with your family.”

“Are you dating?”

“No.” She and Rafael said in unison, resulting in a chuckle from both of them.

Kendall didn’t find their answer amusing. “What the fuck are you doing then?”

The question wasn’t directed at Persephone, but she chose to answer it. “Whatever the fuck we want to.”

“Sephie…”

“Kenny…” Her tone mimicked his, but her expression made clear she didn’t appreciate him butting in.

He sighed and stepped towards them, pausing when Persephone inched closer to Rafael. “Step outside with me.” His voice was flat, leaving no inflection of it being a question.

She knew Kendall well enough to know he was more worried than anything, but the tightening of Rafael’s arm around her waist turned her attention back to him. “Give me a minute.” Her hand ran up his chest to reassuringly brushed his cheek.

Rafael’s eyes went to Kendall and then back to her. “Are you sure?”

“He’s overprotective, and…”

“This is out of character for you.” Rafael nodded.

Persephone smiled, giving him a quick kiss, their hands the last thing to separate when she pulled away to step out on the terrace with Kendall. They both watched through the window as Rafael set his coat on the couch, only turning to look at each other when Rafael’s eyes shifted toward them.

“You like him?”

“We’ve been over this.” Persephone shrugged.

“Yes when I thought you had a one night stand. I honestly thought that might have been good for you but…” He exhaled and tuned his gaze back to Rafael through the window. “I really didn’t think you’d see him again.”

“Ken…”

He shook his head and erased some of the distance she had placed between them. “Seph… you’ve been through…”

“Fuck Kendall, I know what I’ve been through. This has absolutely nothing to do with what I’ve been through.” She assumed Rafael was still watching through the window and her aggravated reaction probably hadn’t helped things.

“Fine.” Kendall lifted his hands and she almost thought he bit back a smile. “I’m just concerned.”

“I’m enjoying his company.”

“You like him.” This time it wasn’t a question.

“No.” Even she knew that didn’t sound convincing.

“Oh, ok.” Kendall chuckled, pulling her closer and kissing the top of her head. “Where is he in whatever you two are doing?”

“Same place I am.”

“Denying his feelings as well then?”

Persephone chuckled and smack the back of her hand against his chest. “It’s just sex.”

“Sure…” Kendall took her hand and dragged her back inside. “I swear if you hurt her…”

“Ken!”

“That’s never been my intent.” Rafael’s eyes cut up at Kendall.

Persephone furrowed her brow as the two men in her home stared at each other. They weren’t exactly glaring at each other, just staring, and she began to worry there was more meaning behind the exchange. “Ken, you can go now.”

“Here.” Kendall pulled the key she had given him off his key ring and handed it to her.

“You don’t have to give this back.”

“Yes I do,” he smiled, “at least for now.”

“Why?”

“So he knows I’m not waiting for you when he’s not around.” Kendall whispered in her ear. The corners of his eyes crinkled when she rolled her eyes and he leaned down to kiss the top of her head again. “Goodnight Seph.”

He was halfway to the door when her mind caught up to the fact that he was leaving. “I’ll call you tomorrow, maybe grab dinner?”

“I’ve got dinner with Rava and the kids. We can do lunch Sunday?”

“Ok.” Persephone smiled.

“Does he do that often?” Rafael asked when she leaned against him on the couch.

“Do what?”

“Wait for you in your apartment like that?”

“I wouldn’t say a lot, but Kendall’s my closest friend.” Persephone shrugged.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be so close that he had a key to your place.”

Persephone shifted so that she straddled his thighs, her face hovering inches above his. “He doesn’t anymore.” Rafael frowned at her. “What did you expect?”

“To never see him.”

“Oh...” Persephone sat back on his thighs putting space between them without removing herself from him.

“It’s fine.” Rafael smiled while moving his hands to her thighs.

“This is just sex right?” Her mind knew what it wanted to hear, what she needed to hear. Something that made her feel better about the fact that Kendall had been caring and affectionate towards her in front of Rafael. Something that would make her feel that Rafael hadn’t been impacted one way or the other by the interaction. It’s what they had agreed to, but somehow lines were being blurred and she found herself replaying the look on his face when he’d said he expected to never actually see Kendall.

“Right.”

The smirk on his face, coupled with the playful tone, didn’t clearly answer the question. It didn’t matter though. Before she had a chance to overthink it, he tugged her back to his lips, slipping his hands under her sweater and letting them skim up her sides.

They didn’t speak as they made their way to her bedroom. Tongues colliding as clothes hastily fell to the floor, some in small piles... others singularly stretched out along the path they had taken.

Rafael and Persephone continued to kiss as he pressed her into the bed, his thighs separating hers when he laid between them, easing himself into her. Persephone moaned, her fingers lacing into his hair when he bottomed out, her hips trying to push him deeper, wanting to feel as much of him as she could. His warm skin, the sinking feeling she gave into every time they were connected like this. It wasn’t just sex. But as long as she could keep telling herself that it was… Rafael pulled himself higher in an effort to get better leverage. The smile he gave her when their eyes met caught her off guard. It wasn’t a smirk, or one of amusement, but a smile that indicated familiarity and comfort... one she was almost positive she returned.

Persephone could hear the ocean lapping against the shore as the sun beat down on her. A large orange blanket laid between her and the sand, Wes’ laugher echoing around her as he chatted with his sister.

“Could you two keep it down? I’m trying to relax.” Persephone didn’t open her eyes, but a smile had crept on her face at the eye roll she assumed she had been given by both her husband and sister in law.

“We’re on a beach in New Zealand... how much more relaxed do you intend to get?” Wes chuckled.

“Relaxed enough to take a nap.”

She should have opened her eyes, if she had she would have seen Wes reaching into the cooler they had brought with them. She would have seen him shaking the can of soda and wouldn’t have been so shocked when she was suddenly covered in the cold liquid that almost instantly make her skin feel sticky.

Her mouth fell open as she sat up, her eyes playfully narrowing on her husbands. “You’ll pay for that.”

“I’m sure I will, but only if you can catch me.” He was already on his feet, laughing as he ran toward the water.

“Wesley Daniel Eriksen!” Persephone giggled while running after him.

They were both waist deep in the water when she caught up to him, tossing herself onto his back as she pulled him into an incoming wave. Wesley wrapped his arms around her when they resurfaced, pulling her closer.

“Are you happy?” He asked, running his hand through her wet hair.

“I am.” She grinned.

“You should always be happy.” He smiled while leaning down to kiss her.

Persephone jerked awake. She shifted to her back and felt an arm wrap loosely across her stomach. It had felt so real, like he was actually with her... but he wasn’t with her. Persephone glance at the man sleeping next to her. Confusion over what she was feeling toward Rafael, the intense ache that was a continual presence when she thought of Wes... guilt... it all swept over her at once causing her to carefully eased herself out of bed.

The clock read six thirty by the time she emerged from the bathroom in yoga pants and t-shirt. Rafael was fast asleep, the light snore involuntarily pulling the corners of her mouth higher. She didn’t want him to leave if he woke before she returned so quickly scribbled out a note for him, leaving it on her pillow where she was sure he’d see it.

_Rafael,_

_ I went for a run, shouldn’t be long._

_ If you wake before I get back help yourself to coffee. Everything you need is in the cabinet above the coffee maker. Except milk... I don’t actually have milk._

_Persephone_

Once outside she began to run. It’s wasn’t like after her nightmares... that wasn’t one of her nightmares. She had never actually dreamt about the happier times she had with Wes. When he slipped into her thoughts while sleeping it was always the same... the rather surreal reenactment of the worst day of her life. Her dreams of him were never pleasant... but this one had been... Persephone rounded a corner trying to shake the feeling of being in Wes’ arms again. She ran faster. She didn’t care the direction she was heading or how far she ventured from her building. Her only goal was to clear her head. It wasn’t working. _Are you happy? _His voice kept asking her. Every block she passed, every corner she turned... always the same question. _Are you happy?_ Until she finally stopped and caught her breath.

“I’m trying to be.” She huffed toward the sky.

The lady entering the coffee shop she had stopped just outside of furrowed her brow at her, but Persephone barely noticed. Instead she found her bearings and headed home. The demanding pace from the first leg, exchanged for a slower jog.

“I see you found the coffee.” She smiled when Rafael looked up from his phone as she entered her apartment. “Have you been up long?”

“Just long enough to brew a pot. You want a cup?”

“No. I’m not much of a coffee person.”

Rafael stood, bringing his mug with him as he approached her. “That is not something I can comprehend.”

“I take it you drink a lot of coffee.” Persephone smirked, letting him wrap his arm around her despite being self consciousness of how sweaty she was.

“Some would argue too much, but...” he shrugged and took a sip.

“Do you want to grab breakfast?” The question left her lips before she had really thought about it and she internally kicked herself. She had decided to slow things down, to shift the dynamic back to a more physical arrangement... less talking. Instead she invited him to breakfast.

“I could eat.”

“Drink a bit more coffee while I shower, then we can head to your place.”

“Are you picking the restaurant again?” Rafael smirked.

“If you want me to.” Persephone smiled when he leaned down to kiss her, ignoring the familiar fluttering feeling that stirred.

“Go get ready.” He lightly smacked her ass.

“Alright, alright.” She chuckled, glancing back over her shoulder at the silly grin he had on his face as she disappeared into her bedroom.


	9. Chapter 9

Kendall was sitting at a table near the back when she entered the restaurant. He barely glanced up from his phone as she approached, only acknowledging her once he finished typing and slid the phone back in his pocket.

“You’ve been seeing him then?”

“No, not really. This was the first time since that night I met him in the bar.” Persephone shrugged.

“That was a month ago.”

“I know.” Persephone smiled when the waiter approached and ordered a water.

“Are you seeing him again?”

“Tonight.”

Kendall chuckled as he rolled his eyes. “I take it you spent most of the day with him yesterday.”

“We had breakfast.” And then spent a good chunk of the day in the American Museum of Natural History, only to grab dinner and end up in her bed again. She didn’t feel like including every detail of her day.

“Did he pay?”

“No.”

“Did you?” Kendall frowned at the idea of her paying for everything.

“No.”

“So, what… no one paid?” He smirked.

“We paid for ourselves. They weren’t dates.”

“They?”

“We were returning from dinner when you interrupted our evening Friday.”

Kendall stared at her, looking amused. “You like him.”

“Jesus, not this again.” Persephone exhaled and leaned back in her chair, her eyes darting to her the paint chipping off her fingernails.

“Are you ready to order?” The waiter’s interruption was welcomed, but short lived.

“No,” Kendall relied, “we’ve got one more coming.”

“Who?” Persephone’s furrowed brow shifted into an eye roll when she noticed Roman enter the restaurant. “You invited Ro?”

“Actually, I added you onto the lunch plans we already had.”

“I hear you traded in my douche brother for the suit.” Roman sat in the chair next to her, the annoying smirk that was constantly plastered on his face falling smugly on her.

“You’re literally in a suit.” She cut her eyes to him and he shrugged, not really caring that he and his brother wore suits more often than not. It wasn’t the point. “Why didn’t you tell me he was coming?” Persephone huffed, turning her attention back to Kendall.

“Because you wouldn’t have come.”

“So,” Roman rested his elbows on the table and leaned towards Persephone, “you’ve fucked both the suit and Kenny here, who’s better?”

“Fuck off Roman.”

Raman smirked at Persephone’s annoyance with him and glanced at his brother as he leaned back in his chair again. “If she won’t just say it’s you Ken, it probably isn’t you.”

“Can you refrain from acting like a self righteous ass for one meal?”

“Who’s acting?” Roman smiled.

Persephone stood and gave Kendall a hug. “I know he’s your brother, but...”

“Oh stay Sephie...” Roman lifted his menu, “I’ll behave.”

“I’m serious,” she was talking to Kendall as opposed to Roman, “one more reference to Rafael as a suit and I’m out.”

“She must really like him.” Roman stated, his eyes still perusing the menu.

“Seph isn’t ready to admit that yet.” Kendall smiled.

Persephone didn’t need to look at the menu, she had known what she was going to order as soon as Kendall mentioned where he wanted to go for lunch. She picked it up anyway, mostly to give herself a brief reprieve before having to tolerate Roman again.

“Why can’t you admit you like him?” Roman sat his menu down, turning his attention to Persephone again.

“Roman, let it go.” Kendall knew if he pushed too far Persephone would leave.

“It would matter if I did.” Persephone shrugged.

“Why?” Roman asked, ignoring the glare from his brother.

“We’ve made it very clear we’re not dating.”

“But you go out to eat, spend time together, talk... That sounds like dating.”

“Well it’s not.”

“Is it because of Wes?”

“Ro.” Kendall clipped, trying his best to get his brother to for once, just shut the fuck up.

“It’s because that’s what we agreed to. Even if I liked him, he’s not interested.” They both looked at her, but neither spoke. Persephone had at least expected some asinine comment from Roman, and instead was met with two pairs of eyes looking at her as though she were an idiot. “We’re just fucking.” She snapped a little louder than she intended, quickly apologizing to the table of grey haired ladies sitting next to them.

“Wes would want you to be happy.”

The comment almost sounded sincere, and it took her a minute to process that it had came from Roman’s mouth and not Kendall’s.

“I’m happy.” Roman scrunched his face in disbelief, technically they both had, but Roman’s was more expressive. “I’m becoming happy... maybe...” Persephone sighed a bit in uncertainty. She had moments of happiness.

“You were happy Friday.” Kendall fought back a smirk and Persephone tossed a sugar packet at him.

Originally they had had plans to go out, grab a light dinner and then to an art exhibit one of her friends was being showcased in. After her lunch and the continual teasing over her non existent feelings for Rafael, she decided to alter their plans. One option was to keep the dinner and art exhibit while dropping the sex, but that ventured too far into the realm of being an actual date. She considered cancelling all together, but she wanted to see him... even if it had only been nine hours since he had left her place. Instead she opted for striping their contact back to what they’d intended in the first place, sex.

“You’re early.” Rafael smirked while letting her in his apartment.

“I’m horny.” She’d tried to distract herself, but he kept popping into her head. Eventually she decided to go for a walk, just to kill some time, and had somehow ended up at his door.

“I’ll take horny.” Rafael snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her against him, his lips finding hers the moment she looked up.

Persephone walked him back to his bedroom, slipping her clothes off as they went.

“You’ve eaten?” She asked while pushing the long sleeved t-shirt over his head.

His fingers slid under her bra, releasing the clasp and tugging the straps down her arms. “You told me to.”

“Good.”

Her hands made quick work of his jeans, lowering herself in front of him. Her fingers caught in the hem of his boxer briefs, dropping them to his ankles while running her tongue along the little slit in his head. Their eyes met, and she opened to take him in, sliding her tongue against the under side as his tip entered her mouth. Throaty groans were made as his eyes closed, he let her bob, only entangling his hand in her hair when she took him deeper.

“Seph...” It had a ring of desperation to it and when she glance up his eyes were locked with hers. “Come here.”

He pulled her to her feet, pushed her underwear off, then walked her to his bed, climbing above her when she laid on her back. His tongue ran along her slit, circling her clit.

“Raf...” She gently tugged on his hair to get him to look up at her. “I want to do you too.”

He crawled above her, kissing along her neck and chin, pressing his lips to hers before lifting so his face hovered just above hers. “How do you want to do this?”

“How much control do you want?”

Rafael smirked as he tugged his lower lip between his teeth. “That’s up to you.”

“You should fucking see how turned on you are right now.” Persephone chuckled, pushing at him so he’d spin above her.

She took him in her mouth, his tongue finding her clit moments later. Her head was restricted by the mattress so she moved her tongue against him while sucking, his hips lifted enough to give her a little room to move. He wrapped his lips around her bud, sucking and swirling, his hips jerking forward with each moan that escaped her, the soft vibrations encouraging. He was controlled, not forceful as he moved in and out of her mouth, which is what she’d expected when she’d suggested he stay on top. It allowed her to focus on what he was doing with his tongue while still ensuring he was enjoying himself as well. His tip pressed against her throat, easing into it with the throaty groan she made as her hips lifted off the bed, his own groan following. She relaxed her throat and let him thrust a bit deeper, mostly because she liked the guttural sound he made when she did. He tensed and pulled out, shifting between her legs so he could focus his attention on getting her off at least once before worrying about his own needs again.

“Fuck.” Persephone groaned, her hips jerking and her hands gripping into his hair as she came. Rafael pulled himself above her, hovering as he watched her chest rise and fall with each breath she took, her body glistening in the soft light of his bedside lamp. He bit back a smirk when their eyes met and she seemed amused at having caught him staring at her. “Are you going to fuck me or just admirer me?” She smirked.

Rafael ran his hand under one leg shifting her thighs wider. “Can I not do both?” He eased in with one long push, filling her.

Persephone smiled and pulled him to her lips when he began to thrust. She knew he had been close before, so it wasn’t that much of a surprise when he lifted his torso from hers to create room for his hand between them. His thumb lightly grazed her clit before beginning a circular pattern. It didn’t take long for her back to arched off the bed, her chest pressing against his, his own release following moments later, his body collapsing onto hers.

“Are you sleeping here?” He didn’t lift his head from the crook of her neck as his breathing was still labored. Persephone thought for a moment, for too long a moment. “You don’t have to.”

“No,” she sighed, she almost hated herself for how much she wanted to stay, “I want to… I’m just debating how early I want my morning to start.”

“What time do you normally get up on Monday?” Rafael shifted so that he was laying next to her, both of them making eye contact.

“Four thirty.”

“Why?”

“I teach a yoga class at five forty five.”

“And again I ask why?” he smiled, “isn’t it your business?”

“The class helps ground me and then I spend the rest of my morning working out in other peoples classes. All of it helps ground me. I traded one addiction for another, but at least this one gives you something to look at.” Persephone broke eye contact, her gaze falling to his chest, not that she was actually focused on it.

“How early would you have to get up if you stayed?”

“Four, but only because I didn’t bring anything for in the morning.”

“It’s only eight.” Rafael chuckled.

“Meaning?” Her eyes drifted up to his again.

“Meaning we still have time for you to pack a bag and bring it back to my place.”

“You’re ok with my alarm going off at four thirty?”

“I get up at five anyway.” He shrugged, smirking when she slapped her arm against his chest for giving her such a hard time about waking up at four thirty.


	10. Chapter 10

Two weeks. Two fucking weeks without a single text from him. Persephone took a breath and reminded herself that that was what they had agreed to. She started a text and quickly deleted it, throwing her phone onto the bed as she had done numerous times over the last couple weeks.

“Fuck it.” She huffed, grabbing her coat and headed out or her penthouse.

Walks. They were her go to when something was bothering her. The colder outside the better. They help clear her head and kept her out of trouble. This walk led to his building... somehow she seemed to unconsciously end up there. The third time she passed the entrance she scolded herself and altered her route to one that would take her further through the city.

“Seph? Hey...” Kendall hadn’t been expecting her.

“Can I come in?”

“Uh...” he glanced back toward the living room, indicating there was someone there that he might not want her to see.

“Is there a girl here?” Persephone’s mood lightened briefly, hoping that Kendall was finally making an effort to move passed Rava.

“No... Stewy and Ro are here.”

“Oh,” the brief excitement she had for him vanished instantly, “in that case can we talk?” She pushed her way into his apartment.

“I guess so.”

Kendall followed her into the living room, watching with a flattened brow as she poured herself a bourbon only to down it and pour a second.

“Hey Sephie.” Stewy smirked from across the room.

“Stewy.” She showed little interest in the greeting. It was the first time she’d seen him since being offered something in return for sleeping with him. She had barely tolerated him before and had no plans to even attempt that much now.

“You wanted to talk?” Kendall’s voice drew her back.

“Talk, fuck... whichever.” Persephone shrugged, downing the second drink and setting the empty glass on his bar top.

“Things not work out with the lawyer?” It seemed Roman was incapable of saying anything without sounding entertained.

“Fuck you Roman.”

“Come on.” Kendall guided her to his bedroom by her arm, shutting the door behind them. He should have been somewhat shocked when her lips found his, but he wasn’t. Sex had become a fucked up coping mechanism for the two of them. “Seph...” He breathed, forcing her back.

“Stewy have something you’d rather do...” She grumbled while sinking to sit on the edge of his bed.

“What happened with Rafael?” He asked, ignoring her dig at his tendency to fall off the wagon when Stewy was around.

“Nothing happened.” She shrugged.

“Nothing?”

“Absolutely nothing. I haven’t had a single form of communication with him in two weeks.”

“Oh,” Kendall forced back a smile.

“Don’t fucking do that.”

“Do what?”

“Act like my behavior is because he’s had some sort of effect on me. If anything it’s because you and your idiot brother put ideas in my head. This is your fault.” Persephone laid back on his bed only to stare at the ceiling.

“Have you contacted him?”

“What?” She lifted her head just enough to see him sit next to her.

“Has he ignored your communication or have neither of you tried to get in contact with the other?”

“The latter, why?”

Kendall smiled. “Did you think that maybe he doesn’t want to scare you off by seeming too eager?”

“We spent almost a whole weekend together, a text wouldn’t seem eager at this point.” She stood and exited his room, finding herself pouring another bourbon. They had put this idea of Rafael being more than just sex in her head. She had been just fine with the arrangement and now she was irritated because she hadn’t heard from some guy who was never supposed to be more than a one night stand in the first place.

“That was quick.” Roman chuckled, both Kendall and Persephone glaring at him from the bar.

“Maybe you should call him.” Kendall whispered.

“You know what? It’s better this way. He’s a nice guy and he sure as hell deserves better than me.” She tossed back the drink and poured another.

“Did you meet someone?” Stewy asked, joining the two standing at the bar.

“No.” Persephone said, this time only taking a small sip.

“I’ve got a little powder,” Stewy looked at her, “it’s yours if you want it.”

Persephone was quiet... too quiet.

“She doesn’t.” Kendall stated as Persephone drew most of the remaining liquid between her lips, holding it on her tongue, almost relishing in the burn tingling at the back of her throat before finally swallowing.

“I think Seph can make that decision for herself.” Stewy smirked, his gaze falling on Persephone.

“This is why no one likes you.” Roman’s comment was directed at Stewy who seemed to barely acknowledge he’d spoken. “At best you’re a prick and the rest of the time you’re whatever the fuck this guy is.”

“I’m just offering.”

“Stewy, you need to leave.” Kendall was still watching Persephone, her mind working overtime as she did everything in her power to simply remain silent.

“I thought we were…”

“Another time.” Kendall huffed, his gaze leaving Persephone when she took a breath and poured another drink.

“You two used to be fun.” Stewy smirked, jerking his body toward Roman as he headed towards the door, chuckling when it made him flinch.

“That guy’s a fucking tool.” Roman said, moving back to the couch to sit.

Kendall pulled Persephone’s phone from the back pocket she kept it in and held it out to her. “You should call him.”

“I will… later.”

“No, do it now. You can use my room.” He brought the phone closer to her face, forcing her to take it.

She rolled her eyes and disappeared into his bedroom, taking her drink with her. The room looked the same as it always had. Familiar. Persephone sat on the bed and scrolled through the contacts on her phone, briefly contemplating calling anyone else, just so it’d sound like she were on the phone if anyone were to listen through the door. When her eye settled on Rafael’s contact, she exhaled and tapped it.

It rang, then again… on the forth ring his voicemail picked up and Persephone ended the call without leaving a message. She closed her eyes and set the phone next to her, thinking about all the things she would change if she could go back and do things over again as she slowly finished her drink. That whole trip to New Zealand would be the first thing to go.

“How’d it go?” Kendall asked when she set the empty tumbler on his bar top.

“He didn’t answer. I’m gonna go.”

“You can stay.”

“No… I need to clear my head.” She was out the door before he could argue.

She hadn’t headed home, instead choosing to walk some more, purposely avoiding her and Rafael’s neighborhood. It wouldn’t do any good to run into him if he was avoiding her. How did it even come to him avoiding her? She honestly wasn’t sure he was… he just hadn’t called. Midway through the discussion she was having in her head her phone buzzed.

“Have you eaten?”

She stared at it. She hadn’t eaten, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to grab food with him.

“I haven’t.” There was a sigh as she sent the text… a sigh because she did want to see him, to grab dinner with him. She just didn’t know what it meant anymore.

“Are you home?”

“Closer to your work actually.” How she had ended up on this side of the city she couldn’t even begin to explain.

“Meet me at the precinct then.” Rafael sent followed by a second text with directions.

“You’re at work?”

“It’s been a long couple weeks…”

Persephone snorted at herself for not even entertaining the idea that he might have been busy. Then her mind turned on her. Shouldn’t stress at work have led him to her? Their arrangement was stress relief after all… She almost texted him back to beg off, but she had already told him she hadn’t eaten and that she was close.

The elevator wasn’t empty as she rode to the floor he had directed her to. Normally this wouldn’t bother her, but she had wanted a moment to herself. She quietly exhaled before inching passed the other passengers as she exited.

He had said to make a right off the elevator and then the first left. The directions had seemed vague, but now that she was actually there they made sense. The hallway had been empty, the bullpen, while not hectic, definitely wasn’t empty. Persephone glanced around, but didn’t see Rafael anywhere. Since she had reached the end of the directions he’d sent her, she stood rather timidly just inside the bullpen, unaware of how much she resemble a victim.

“Can I help you?”

She had been scanning the space for Rafael, absentmindedly brushing passed the nameless faces moving about around her. Her eyes met the furrowed brow of a man around her age, then shifted to the blond who stood from her desk and started toward them.

“I, huh…” The concern on both faces threw her for a moment and then she remembered what kind of cases Rafael had mentioned working. “I really need to get more sleep.” She chuckled, realizing her somber mood mixed with how tired she was probably had given off the wrong impression.

“Seph.” Rafael entered the bullpen from a door on the opposite side of the room from her.

“I found who I’m looking for.” She smiled at the two detectives who now looked less concerned and more confused.

It wasn’t like she had shown up in her workout clothes or sweats. She had dressed in jeans, a long sleeve top, and her knee length olive green peacoat. Her hair and makeup had been styled as opposed to thrown in a ponytail, mainly because she had needed to distract herself that morning, her makeup had been done for much the same reason. She knew her demeanor had shifted the moment she saw him, and as much as she wanted to hate herself for that, she didn’t.

“Are you ready or do you need to finish up here?” Persephone asked as she stood next to him, well aware that the eyes of the woman he’d entered the bullpen with, the two detectives, and another slightly older man’s on them.

“I’m ready.” He smirked.

“Barba?” Persephone didn’t laugh, but she really wanted to, at the look the woman had given him.

Rafael did laugh, though it was subtle and slightly huffed out through a smirk. “Liv this is Persephone Eriksen. Seph, Olivia Benson.”

“Persephone Hollingsworth Eriksen?” The blond detective spoke from the desk she had returned to. “Your hair’s different.”

“I always go darker in the winter.” She was purposely dismissive.

The only people who referred to her by all three names had read her name in a tabloid or heard it on gossip news. Wesley’s death had made headlines for months as did her social disappearance. She hadn’t actually left New York, but had made it a point to not be in the spotlight as she processed, or rather avoided processing his death. If she had been with anyone other than Kendall Roy, her downhill spiral would have been all over ATN, the Roy family’s news network. A Hollingsworth on a drug binge... it would have done damage to her family name to some extent, but not enough to make it worth taking Kendall down with her.

“Detectives Amanda Rollins, Nick Amaro, and Odafin Tutuola or Fin.” Rafael stated, pointing to each person as he named them.

“Why are you all up here on a Saturday?”

“Shitty case.” Fin muttered.

“Oh...” Persephone glanced around wondering why he’d mentioned eating if they were busy.

“Call me if you need something else before Monday.” Rafael had spoken to Olivia as he guided Persephone toward where she’d entered the bullpen.

“Really... that’s all you’re giving us?” Olivia smirked, clearly no longer talking about their case.

“There’s nothing more to give.” Rafael smirked back as they disappeared from view.

They rode the elevator in silence, Rafael reading through a few emails on his phone as Persephone watched him. They hadn’t touched, or seemed overly familiar, but a woman meeting him there probably gave off a certain impression. Still he’d playfully denied such implications, and why wouldn’t he... they weren’t dating and she’d been very insistent on it being that way. Her problem was that she wasn’t sure that’s what she wanted anymore.

“Greek?” He smiled as he slipped his phone in his pocket.

“I could eat Greek.”

“Great, there’s a fantastic little place not too far from here.” His hand intertwined with hers as they turned the corner to head to the restaurant.

He’d been talking... a lot. Persephone let him, nodding occasionally to appear as though she were listening. She wasn’t listening. Her head was elsewhere, contemplating the stupid feelings for him that had crept on her out of nowhere.

“Seph?” His brow was furrowed when she looked up from her plate.

“I’m sorry,” she exhaled as she silently admonished herself, “I was lost in thought.”

“I noticed,” Rafael smiled in amusement, “something more important than listening to me ramble about nothing?”

“Not really.” Persephone chuckled.

“What’s bothering you?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head much too quickly so he pushed.

“What is it?”

“Not that I deserve it, but... what if I wanted more?” Much to her surprise, her voice didn’t falter.

“More than the no strings, which apparently includes a lot of strings, we’ve agreed to?” The slight tug at a smirk on his lips made her smile.

“Yes.”

“Why would you think you didn’t deserve that?”

“I never really thought I’d date again... Wes was the love of my life and I didn’t think it would be fair to someone else knowing how much I love him. You don’t get two great loves...” She huffed the last bit and dropped her fork on the plate.

“Says who?”

“Some people don’t even get one, why should I get two?”

“You want to be happy... to eventually love again?”

“I guess.” She shrugged.

“Way to commit.” The humor in his voice made her chuckle and look at him.

“Shut up.”

They both smiled while staring at the other.

“Do you want more?” He finally asked, the playfulness gone from his tone.

“I want more.” Persephone nodded.

“I guess this is officially a date then.” Rafael smirked.

“I’ll try not to ignore you for the second half of it.” She smiled larger than she normally did, but she couldn’t exactly control it. Part of her had worried having this conversation would be an end to their arrangement all together. It had turned out so much better than she had dared hope for.


	11. Chapter 11

Persephone stirred to find his arms around her, tightly wrapped as though he were afraid she slip out on him if they weren’t. Technically she had slipped out on him before so perhaps it wasn’t subconsciously done… In her defense, she had left a note.

“Rafael...” she whispered in an effort to gently coaxed him awake. His arms tightened as a deep hum vibrated through his chest, his eyes remaining shut. “I need to pee.”

“Should have thought of the possibility of that before deciding to wake up.” He still hadn’t opened his eyes, but a small smile tugged at his lips.

Persephone chuckled softly and wiggled out of his arms, taking the hands that were playfully trying to grab for her again in hers only to kiss the backs of his fingers. “I’ll be right back.”

She stared at herself in the mirror for a moment, wondering if she had made a mistake by asking for more with him. She wanted more. The night before had been perfect. The second half of dinner easy once the weight of telling him how she felt had been lifted, the night that followed as good as any other they’d shared together. And she enjoyed sleeping in his arms.

Still, two things were worrying her... how much she still loved and missed Wes, and why Rafael hadn’t called. The first worry she could only let time work out on it’s own. She hated the idea of hurting anyone if she couldn’t one day love them the way they deserved, but she couldn’t deny the draw she felt toward Rafael either. It was too soon to know... too soon to worry about things like love... it would be even if she had never met Wesley and this were just a new relationship. Time. That worry would only be sated by actually getting to know the man in her bed. The other one... the reason he hadn’t called... she’d have to actually open her mouth to ease those nerves.

“My turn.” He smiled, seeming much more awake as he crawled out of bed when she joined him again. “Don’t get up though.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.” She smiled, tugging the covers up higher as she watched him exit the bedroom.

How to ask though... she hadn’t called him either and she wasn’t quite sure she wanted to admit the insecure reasons associated with that yet.

“You ok?” The bed shifted with his body weight, his arms tugging her closer once he settled back under the covers.

“Why didn’t you call?” Blunt and straightforward... it seemed easiest and she was tired of overthinking it.

“When?”

“At all over the last two weeks.”

“I’ve been swamped at work and I didn’t think you wanted me to text a little hello here and there. Up until yesterday you had made it pretty clear it wasn’t that kind of relationship.” This last bit was accompanied by a little smirk and Persephone knew he was right.

“Yes, but if you were stressed...” she glanced up to look at him, “wouldn’t that have meant you would text me... even if it was just for a little relief?”

“It was a pretty twisted case, not exactly something that would put you in the mood to call someone up just to get off... especially when I was hopeful for more from that someone.”

“You were?” She was slightly panicked on the inside, though she did fairly well to hide it. It was one thing if he was humoring her, but she still didn’t know what any of this meant considering she hadn’t even entertained the idea of being interested in someone since Wes. And sure she had been in relationships before him, but it all felt so long ago. It was ok if she got hurt, nothing could be as painful as having the person you loved suddenly ripped from you with no warning. Her concern was not for herself, but for Rafael… she wasn’t sure she was capable of loving again.

“I was.” Of course that was all the response he gave, that and a soft exhale of air as he snuggled her closer. It clarified nothing. No degree to what he felt. No length of time he’d felt whatever it was he felt. Just that he’d had a similar desire she’d had. Persephone ran her arm up his torso and rested it along side her head on his chest. It was too late to take it back anyway and she had been miserable when they hadn’t seen one another. She’d just have to let things play out and try not to second guess every step along the way.

“Rafael…” She tilted her head enough so she could see his eyes again. “I will always love Wes.” It felt dishonest to say nothing.

“Ok.”

“Ok?”

Rafael ran his thumb across her cheek before gliding his fingers through her hair. “What did you want me to say?” Persephone shrugged. “It’s not a competition. You either enjoy being with me or you don’t. It’s rarely more complicated than that.”

“Ok.”

“Ok?” His smirk lightened the mood and she smiled despite feeling like things were much more complicated than he’d made them out to be.

Persephone took a deep breath and knocked on the thick wooden door. It was much more modern looking than a typical brownstone, definitely not the color the term suggested, though at one time she believed it’d been. The whole unit gutted and renovated a decade before when he’d first purchased the place.

Normally she knocked without hesitation. It was after all as familiar a place as any to her. Now that a few days had passed and her rather rash behavior muddled over too many times to appear even close to sane, she was feeling embarrassed.

“You know Seph… one day you’re going to randomly swing by and I really will have a woman here.” Kendall’s door was pulled open enough for her to see him leaning on the frame, but not so much that she could see in.

“I take it that day is not today?”

Kendall smirked and shook his head, opening it enough for her to enter. Persephone immediately made her way to the bar pouring herself a glass of the first bottle she grabbed.

“You ok?”

“I’m fine, why?” Her eyes met his as she pulled the liquid to her lips. Kendall gestured with his eyes to the glass and Persephone shrugged, swallowing the sip she’d taken. “I little liquid courage.” Kendall furrowed his brow. “Fine… I just wanted it.” Persephone was the first to admit that she drank more than she should. It was better than the alternative and she kept it in check during the work week, but rarely a day went without at least one drink… it wasn’t something she was proud of… it was like the one cigarette she still allowed herself, something she wasn’t ready to let go of.

Kendall nodded, he wasn’t exactly in a position to judge. “Did he call you back?”

“He did.” The grin was involuntary and she immediately rolled her eyes at herself.

“I take it you talked.” He didn’t bother to hide his amusement at her reaction.

“Am I making a huge mistake?”

“I don’t know… you haven’t told me what you talked about.”

Persephone rolled her eyes and tapped the pocket she knew he kept his cigarettes in. “Can I bum?”

Kendall pulled the pack out, holding it so she could take one and followed her to the back patio. “Did you actually talk to him or just sleep with him?” He leaned forward to light hers before lighting his own.

She took a long drag from it, watching the paper burn away as the tobacco end shortened and slowly exhaled before speaking. “We talked… he agreed to more.”

“More? What exactly does that mean?”

“He called our dinner a date and we spent the rest of the weekend together… at least until he got called back into work.”

“That’s the definition you got?” Kendall chuckled.

Persephone exhaled the smoke she’d just breathed in. “I’m not ready to push for more of a definition than that. Let me ease back into this whole dating thing.”

“Fair enough.” Kendall smirked, inhaling his own puff of smoke. “Why are you smoking while sober?” Persephone held up the glass she’d almost finished off and tilted it back and forth. “That hardly counts as drinking.”

“I’m a bit on edge.”

“Because of your new relationship status?”

“Because I’m overthinking it.”

“So don’t overthink it.”

Persephone flattened her lips as she cut her eyes to him. “No shit.”

Kendall chuckled. “Bring him with you next weekend.”

“Uh… no.”

“Why not? You’re dating now.”

“Yeah… your family is a bit much even when you’re expecting them.”

Kendall took one last puff and extinguished the butt, pressing it into the concrete surface of his patio with the toe of his shoe but not bothering to pick it up. “If you show up with me again my dad will find a way to let it slip we’re dating.”

“I could just not go.”

“You don’t seriously think that will get my dad to drop it?”

“You’re seriously blackmailing me to bring a date to this stupid party. I barely agreed to go in the first place.”

“It’s not blackmail, just a way to get him to move on. If you don’t go he’ll just wait until the next time you join me for something. You’re one of my closest friends… you can’t avoid my father forever.”

Persephone chewed on her lip as she thought. She knew he was right, Logan Roy used his media outlet to spread whatever information about his family he felt like… whether it was true or not. “I’ll think about it.”

“I’ll put you down for a plus one.”

She nodded, still somewhat in thought. The truth was she would be going either way. Originally it had been assumed she’d be Kendall’s ‘date’ for the evening. Usually when this happened they’d both drink too much and end up in one or the others bed. It wouldn’t have been the case this time with or without the conversation with Rafael. They hadn’t had sex since the day Rafael called her up asking how their arrangement worked. Even during the two weeks she hadn’t heard from Rafael she hadn’t gone to Kendall… well, until she couldn’t stop the panic she felt from being upset over not hearing from him. And then it was more of an attempt to put an end to feeling dejected.

“Hey Ken?” Kendall looked up, silently acknowledging he’d heard her. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For making Stewy leave the other day… I’m not sure I wouldn’t have been strong enough to...”

He stopped her from finishing. “I wouldn’t have let you.”

“You might have if you’d already been high.” Persephone’s eyes fell to the ground as she worried about a situation that hadn’t played out.

Kendall took the cigarette from her and dropped it, putting it out with the toe of his shoe as he’d done to his own moments before. “I wasn’t.”

“And thanks for not fucking me.”

They both chuckled lightly when their eyes met.

“Anytime.”

“You up for a drink?” Persephone held her now empty glass higher.

Kendall nodded, following her back inside. The conversation becoming familiar and almost predictable, as it does when you’ve known the person you’re chatting with most of your life. Her love life no longer the focus as they moved onto topics they never seemed to tire of. Persephone knew the moment she’d suggested a second drink that she’d break her single cigarette rule, a momentary lapse that she honestly wasn’t even upset about. If she’d been drinking to mask her pain or fill some void it would’ve been different. She wouldn’t say she was happy… it was too strong of an emotion to use just yet. Contented is what came to mind. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt at peace about anything.


	12. Chapter 12

“That’s what you’re wearing?”

Rafael’s eyes shifted to what he could see of himself without a full length mirror. “You said black, I’m wearing black.” It was the nicest tux he owned, fitted and stylish... her question beginning to cause offense since men’s fashion was something he considered himself well versed in.

Persephone chewed on her bottom lip, thankful for the invention of lipstick designed to last twelve hours. “Sorry. You look fantastic, I’m just nervous.”

“You’re nervous?” He chuckled, pleased to see the lip drop from between her teeth when she smiled as well.

“I know, I know... I’m building this up more than it needs to be.”

“You look,” Rafael took a moment to admire her in the sapphire blue evening gown she’d entered his apartment in, “stunning.” Her dark brown hair was worn down, styled in soft curls, one side tucked behind her ear with a diamond encrusted clip. White gold earrings with a single diamond solitaire dangling beneath her earlobes, the matching necklace hitting just below the hollow point between each clavicle. A tennis bracelet donned her left wrist and despite it simplicity, his eyes were drawn to it. “This is pretty.” He lifted her left hand higher indicating the bracelet.

“Thanks... Wes gave it to me.” There had been a time when she couldn’t bear to look at the gifts he’d given her, which was somewhat ironic considering she had continued to wear her wedding ring for three years after his death. Now she liked the little reminders in her jewelry collection. “Oh...” Persephone’s eyes met Rafael’s, “maybe I shouldn’t have said that.”

Rafael shrugged it off. “Commenting on the bracelet seemed to settle your nerves.” Persephone closed the tiny space between them, kissing him in what she hoped was passionate enough to let him know she hadn’t worn something from her late husband to reflect in any way on him. Rafael let the kiss continue for a moment, only stopping things when it began to feel almost too heated. “Seph...”

“We could just skip the circus...” she ran her hand between buttons on his neatly pressed shirt, “stay in.”

“I’m going to have to join your world eventually.”

She pursed her lips and exhaled. “I guess we should get it over with then...”

“That’s encouraging.”

Persephone rolled her eyes at his smirk, dragging him behind her out of his apartment.

The ballroom was softly lit, making it hard to see across the room, but comfortable at distances close up or once seated at a table. Persephone effortlessly guided them through the room as if completely adjusted to the low level of lighting.

“That’s Tom,” she pointed to a man maybe ten feet from them, “he’s obnoxious and audacious... and Siobhan Roy’s boyfriend. He enjoys making newcomers feel off kilter by continuously invading personal space and saying ridiculous things quickly in order to get a reaction. Seriously, if he says something that sounds absurd, it’s because it is absurd.”

“I’m pretty sure I can handle an affront with words.” Rafael smirked.

Persephone smiled. “Against Tom... I have no doubt.”

“Not against someone else though?”

“Logan Roy doesn’t play fair and Roman can be... crude.”

“And Kendall?”

“He’s protective, but if I’m happy, he’s happy.”

Rafael nodded. “What about Siobhan and…” he paused while trying to think of the eldest of the Roy siblings name, “the other one?”

Persephone guided them passed their table, toward the open bar. “Conner lives in his own world and Shiv grew up the only daughter of a powerful man… she can hold her own.”

“Hey Sephie.” Kendall reached around her to give her a hug when they reached the bar.

“Ken,” the hug was half assed, but she didn’t feel right giving him a larger one with Rafael still holding her hand, “you remember Rafael.”

Kendall nodded, reaching his hand out to shake, “it’s nice to officially be introduced.”

“Likewise.” Rafael stated, returning the hand shake.

Persephone glanced between the two men, “Fuck, this is awkward.”

“It’ll be fine,” Kendall smirked, pushing her toward the bar that had emptied out enough for them to reach the counter, “get something to drink.”

Persephone ordered an Old Fashion, hoping the burn from the bourbon hitting the back of her throat might distract from the night that lay ahead. Since the bar was stocked with nothing but top shelf liquors, Rafael opted to stick with Scotch, pleased to see the bartender pull out a bottle of Macallan.

“Club soda.” Kendall stated when the bartender looked to him. Persephone knitted her brow, waiting for Kendall’s explanation. “I brought Rava tonight, it’s a gesture of good faith.”

“How’d Logan take that?”

“He’s playing indifferent.” Kendall shrugged.

Persephone cut her eyes to her friend, her teeth tugging on her lip to suppress the smirk. “How’s that going?”

“Surprisingly well.”

“He’s let the idea of publicly tying our families together in some way go?”

Kendall chuckled and shook his head. “Biding his time.”

The round table was large, fitting the entire Roy bunch plus Persephone and Rafael. It would have felt odd being the only couple without a blood relation at the table had she not been a fixture in the group for so long. First, in her youth, palling around with Kendall incessantly, then as an adult, Wes at her side for most of these type functions. Logan Roy had always extended her an invitation, and Persephone now wondered if there hadn’t always been strings attached.

Introductions had been made, Logan grunting his greeting while Tom sat a little straighter in his seat next to Siobhan. The simple, this is Rafael hadn’t sufficed, a follow up about his profession had to be made and Roman took great pleasure in answering. The only one impacted by the title had been Tom, and he began his peacock dance before the first round of drinks were refilled.

“Ralph was it?” Tom was seated across the table from them, drawing everyone’s attention when he spoke. Roman, who was sitting to Rafael’s right, leaned forward so he could grin at Persephone.

“Rafael.” The correction wasn’t perturbed, just him accurately restating his name.

“Right, right…” Tom lifted his drink, talking as the glass touched his lips. “Did you grow up in New York?”

“The Bronx.”

Tom’s face contorted into a silent laugh as he leaned in so that his elbows rested on the table. “The Bronx?”

“What about it?” This time Rafael’s response was clipped, swiping the smile off Tom’s face.

“I… uh…” He looked to Shiv, who lifted her brow and shrugged, leaving him to undig his own hole.

“Better The Bronx than Saint Paul.” Roman spat out Tom’s hometown sarcastically, his face scrunched up in revulsion as Grace giggled.

Logan more slammed than sat his drink down. “Self made is self made, doesn’t matter what means you had at the start.” He turned to Tom. “I assume you were referencing status.” Tom’s hole growing deeper at Logan’s irritated tone. He was in a constant battle to win the mans approval, a battle he seemed to lose at every turn.

Persephone knitted her brow, glancing at Kendall who merely shrugged.

“I uh, I…” Tom glanced around the table, the stretch of pitiless eyes staring back at him, “I didn’t come from money either.”

The muttered response shifted the conversation to other topics, people sitting closer to one another having separate discussions than those across the table. Siobhan silently consoling Tom by sliding her hand up his back until it rested on his shoulder.

“What was that?” Rafael leaned in when he asked, taking Persephone’s hand in his when he did.

“No idea.” She carefully glanced in Logan’s direction only to find him staring back at her. “Nothing good I suppose.”

Rafael’s eyes followed the path of hers, Logan moving his attention to his wife, Marcia, before they reached him. “Should I be worried?”

Persephone motioned for him to follow her, rolling her eyes at Roman’s sudden interest as they stood.

“Scared you off already? That was quick.”

“Fuck off.” Her head lifted between the words, half rolling her eyes at his amused little smirk, shifting them to Kendall instead only to be met with furrowed interest. “We’ll be back.” She took Rafael’s hand, guiding them back through the sea of tables to the hall.

“Do you have anything to be worried about ATN sharing with the world?”

He stared at the floor, taking longer to answer the question than she’d expected. “Not that I know of.”

“He’s most likely just still upset that I won’t marry Kendall.” She used air quotes around the word marry, but it didn’t exactly ease his mind.

“Wait what?”

“He wants to tie the Hollingsworth and Roy families together, at least publicly.”

“And you chose to mention this now?” The exasperation in his voice made her smile.

“It’ll pass,” Persephone shrugged, “it’s not like he actually wants me to marry his son... just make it seem like we’re more involved than we are to shift public perception. My family is well liked… the Roy’s… they have PR issues.”

“So, I shouldn’t be worried?”

Persephone pushed her bottom lip up as she slipped her arms around his middle. “Depends on how honest you were about having nothing to hide.”

Rafael looked down to find her smiling up at him. “You’re fucking with me.”

“Completely fucking with you.” She smirked, pushing up for a kiss before dragging him back to their seats.

The remainder of dinner went better than expected, at least for Rafael and Persephone. Roman questioned the candidate Siobhan was currently working for, one her father particularly despised, leading to a rather heated discussion where the word loyalty was use on more than one occasion, garnering a few raised brows from Rafael. Roman piped in a comment or two, picking neither side as he threw jabs at both his sister and father. Rava sighed at one point as though contemplating why she’d bothered to join the theatrics at all, leading to Kendall’s lackluster attempt at peace keeping. Willa took sips from her drink, remaining expressionless as she watched the train wreck unfold before her, Conner opening his mouth to speak, the words dissipating as a quicker voice rang out. A verbal back and forth of wits coupled with one liners and flat out mean spirited affronts.

Persephone glanced at Rafael during a particularly spirited exchange between Siobhan and Roman, gently squeezing his thigh to get his attention. His eyes crinkled in amusementwhen she grinned, clearly finding the turn of events entertaining. The grin turned to a stifled chuckle when a petulant “whatever” was huffed out by Grace.

“Wow. That _is_ supportive of your point. I’ll be sure to remember it during our next strategy meeting, placing ‘whatever’ on the list with our other electability concerns.” Siobhan parried, eying Grace with an air of superiority.

Grace retaliated with a rather bitchy raise to her eyebrow, but didn’t verbally respond and by the time the presenter began speaking the entire table had gone silent.

More drinks were served just in time for the guest to mingle while exploring the items offered up in a silent auction. Persephone seized the opportunity to get Rafael away from the Roys so she could assess how he was feeling about the evening. She guided him passed a pillar displaying a necklace with a diamond on it large enough to draw his eye over his shoulder, trying to figure out how to ease into a conversation about the dinner they’d just had.

“They’re a lot, but you get used to them.”

Rafael smirked, a chuffing laugh escaping through his nose as his focus returned to her. “Are they always like that?”

“Argumentative and obdurate?”

“Yeah.”

“Always.” Persephone chuckled, taking his hand in hers as they rounded a corner.

Rafael paused, staring at the wall ahead of them. “Is that a Monet?”

“It is. You want to bid on it?”

Rafael looked at her as though she’d lost her mind. “On an ADA’s salary? I splurge on suits, scotch, and food… that’s the extent of my extravagant spending.”

“You want to get a closer look?” One corner of his mouth twitch upward, giving her all the answer she needed to drag him closer. “What do you think?”

“I’ve seen Monet before…” he moved a bit closer, “just not this intimately.” Persephone watched him for a moment, paintings not really being one of her interest. He moved around the artwork, taking it in from multiple angles while scanning each brush stroke before moving back to take in the overall image again. “You’re friendly with Kendall’s wife?”

His question caught her off guard. “Rava, yeah… why?”

“I just didn’t expect it I guess.” They moved to the next item up for auction, neither of them paying much attention to the dress formerly belonging to some Hollywood actress displayed.

“It’s complicated. We’ve all known each other a long time and they were separated long before anything happened with Kendall… she also knows it was a low point for both of us.” Rafael’s couldn’t quite make sense of that, his brow knitted in perplexed thought. “Kendall’s my best friend, but I’ve never felt anything for him. We just both desperately needed to feel.”

“To feel?”

Persephone’s lips flattened into a line. “Something… anything.” She shrugged slightly, “drugs were no longer an option.”

“This should go without saying, but… you don’t… with Kendall anymore?”

Persephone chuckled and took his hand in hers. “Not since the moment you texted asking how this worked.”

“Really?”

“Really.” A grin slipped on her face when his lips twitched upward in an attempt to hide the smirk.

The fact that he liked her too was something she was coming to terms with. It actually excited her now, the fear of hurting him subsiding a bit with each passing day that the urge to spend time with him grew stronger. She had always been the type of person to take life as it came. Her relationship with Wes had been easy, which is not to negate it in anyway… they were extremely happy, she just never second guessed it. Never worried that something bad could happen to them. It wasn’t in her nature. It’s what made the fall into using so easy, she never even considered the negative impact… of course at that time it was do to lack of giving a shit about anything.

“Persephone.” Logan Roy appeared at her side… another thing she hadn’t anticipated. She glanced at him, but remained silent, very aware of the two men on either side of her. “It wasn’t only for public image.”

“Are you fucking serious?” Her brow furrowed in disbelief. This topic was settled as far as she was concerned, especially with Rafael standing next to her.

“You’re good for Kendall. He makes better choices when he’s around you.”

Persephone’s eyes rolled. “You get that I’m the reason things got as bad as they did.”

“Ken dragged you into that life, not the other way around. You’re also the reason he got out.” Logan appeared uncharacteristically sincere, not that Persephone would look passed how manipulative he could be to see it.

“He’s the reason I got out.” The response was muttered in reflection of the view she had of herself during that time.

“He refused to watch you fall deeper. That’s why he sought treatment, less for himself than for you.”

Persephone could admit to herself that part of that was true, but only because Kendall had felt guilty. It wasn’t the reason he went to rehab, it was the reason he dragged her with him. “Rava… his kids… they’re the reason he sought treatment. They’re the reason he’s ordered club soda all night. Encourage that.”

“His marriage is a lost cause.”

“Then be there for him when he and Rava finally except that.”

“I’m always there for my children.” Logan snapped, resembling the intimidating man she’d grown to know over the years.

“If you say so.” Persephone sighed, shuffling Rafael toward the next auction item, one she was considering bidding on. She paused, turning back to Logan. It dawned on her that perhaps he was only concerned for Kendall’s health and well being. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Logan remained expressionless as the couple ventured toward the next display. Rafael looked over the earrings while Persephone scanned the bid sheet, doing his best to ignore the questions itching to escape his lips and ruin any chance of their evening ending happily.

“Are you placing a bid?” He forced the topic, glancing at the sheet as well. While the most recent bid of eleven thousand was on the higher side, it was less than he’d expected after passing the Monet earlier. He’d taken a peak at the bid sheet for that one and had cleared his throat to keep from appearing startled and the thirty million fixed start price. It had multiple names listed, each one keeping their bid competitive with the last and would undoubtably go for much higher than the starting amount.

“I am, just not yet,” Persephone whispered, “the auction closes in ten minutes and I’d like to be the last bid on the form.

“Why these particular earrings?” They were pretty, but nothing he figured she couldn’t find something similar to or have made.

“These sold in a Bonhams auction of Lauren Bacall’s personal items shortly after her death. They’re gray South Sea cultured pearls designed by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany back in ninety six. I have an affinity for Lauren Bacall and I find these particular earrings to be pretty.” She shrugged a bit and circled them to a new item placed close enough to the earrings that she could quickly place her bid.

Rafael was still trying to place the name he knew he’d heard before. “Ok... give me a movie so I can picture who you’re talking about.”

Persephone smiled, her lip tugging between her teeth. “How To Marry A Millionaire, The Big Sleep...”

“She was married to Humphrey Bogart wasn’t she?”

“Until his death.” Her mood shifted for a moment, quickly placing a smile back on her face as she dragged him back to the earrings.

He watched her place her bid, the auction closing as she finished. He refrained from commenting on how much she resembled the actress, assuming she’d heard it before. It would be impossible for her to not have. Now that he had the comparison it was like a time warp, a face from Hollywood’s golden age staring back at him with modern hair and clothing.

“You ok?” Rafael pulled himself from his thoughts, nodding his reply. “The resemblance is uncanny, I know.” She slipped her hand in his, guiding them back toward the table. “Up for another half hour with the Roys? We can skip out after that.”

“It’s oddly entertaining to watch them bicker amongst themselves.” He chuckled.

“Maybe we stay an hour then.” She altered their route to the bar, figuring another drink could only make the evening more entertaining.


End file.
